Good Morning, Campers!
by Neuropsych
Summary: The team is sent on a working vacation. Read and review, please! (FINISHED)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: SG-1 and all those character are not mine. I merely play with them.  
  
I do, however, lay a claim to Shawn, Simon, Andrew, Devon, William, Sally, Gina, Shelly, Jean, Tom, Patricia, Gary, and all other people that I've made up in this story. These are my creations. If you want to use them, ask first! (although I honestly can't imagine why you would)  
  
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"Rise and shine, Campers!" Sam's eyes flew open, and she sat up in her bed, certain that she had to be dreaming. Nope. No dream. It was, indeed, her commanding officer, and he was standing in the doorway to her bedroom, wearing jeans and a polo shirt and looking exactly like a cat that had swallowed the canary.  
  
"What? What's going on? What are you doing here?" It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him, but it was a little unusual for him to come and wake her up in the morning. She felt a sudden flare of worry. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Everything's fine, Carter," O'Neill assured her, grinning. "Get dressed, Daniel's making breakfast."  
  
"Daniel's here?" She realized that she did smell bacon frying.  
  
"Oh, yeah." He gave her an enigmatical grin and left her room, closing the door behind him to give her some privacy.  
  
Sam stared at the door for a second, then heard something crash and break, and distinctly heard Daniel say something about not worry, he would replace it. She scrambled out of bed, wondering what in the world was going on. Sam threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and then hurried out into the kitchen, just in time to see Teal'c drop an egg onto the floor.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"We are making breakfast," Teal'c informed her, handing the other eggs to Daniel then grabbing a towel to clean up the mess he'd made.  
  
"I meant, what are you guys doing here?"  
  
"We have a new assignment," O'Neill said, coming into the kitchen to pull some plates from the cupboard so he could set the table.  
  
"A new assignment?" Sam asked, catching an egg that was starting to roll off the counter. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Daniel broke eggs into the pan he'd cooked the bacon in, prompting a loud sizzle and a puff of dark smoke.  
  
"Told you the pan was too hot for eggs," Jack said, looking over his shoulder.  
  
"So you did." Daniel turned down the temperature on the stove and blew on the eggs, as though hoping to cool them, coughing as the smoke continued to come pouring out of the pan.  
  
"What are they talking about, Teal'c?" Sam asked, hoping someone was going to explain before she was forced to kick them all out of her house.  
  
"We have been reassigned, temporarily," Teal'c said, handing Carter a carton of orange juice.  
  
"Reassigned?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"To where? To what?" She had only just woken up, her kitchen was filled with black smoke and broken eggs, and the three men made it seem far to small and Sam felt she was entitled to be a little short-tempered. "Would you guys hold still and tell me what's going on?!"  
  
"We're going to be camp counselors," Daniel told her, his eyes watering as smoke from the eggs wafted past.  
  
"What?" She had to have heard him wrong, and she turned to O'Neill.  
  
"Oh, no, it's not a bad dream, and it isn't a joke." He shrugged.  
  
"Counselors?"  
  
"At a camp, yes."  
  
"Teal'c, too?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"I have never been a counselor before, MajorCarter. Nor have I had opportunity to spend time with human children It should prove to be an interesting experience."  
  
"Camp counselors?" She sat down and missed the chair she was aiming for, landing in a heap. Jack didn't laugh, although he was obviously enjoying her confusion; he just helped her up and made a show of positioning the chair just right for her before she sat down.  
  
"Are you going to explain this?" She asked him, as Daniel put a plate of bacon and slightly burnt eggs in front of her, then another one in front of Teal'c, who sat down next to her.  
  
"Sure." He realized he was pressing his luck, and that if he kept her in the dark much longer he was probably going to have her breakfast in his lap, so he sat down across from Teal'c. "Apparently, the powers that be have decided that SG-1 has been working too hard and needs a vacation."  
  
"A vacation? Counseling?"  
  
"Oh, there's more, Sam," Daniel said, bringing a plate of bacon over and sitting down as well. Obviously, he'd decided that his eggs were a little too burnt for consumption and had settled for just bacon and toast.  
  
"More?"  
  
"Well," O'Neill continued. "They seem to think that we're not very good at vacations. That every time we get one, we never do anything relaxing. So this time, they came up with a vacation for us."  
  
"Camp counselors?"  
  
"Yup. Good ole Camp Can'tGetAwayFromItNoMatterHowHardITriedToTalkThemOutOfIt. It's somewhere up in the mountains, I believe."  
  
"What are we doing there?"  
  
"We're counseling. Apparently one of the Joint Chiefs has a daughter that went there last year, who had the time of her life and has talked about nothing since. So, when they decided we needed a vacation, they decided that sending us to camp would be just as relaxing as allowing us to go wherever we want."  
  
"You're serious?"  
  
It was obvious from Daniel's expression that this wasn't a joke, but Sam was hoping anyways.  
  
"Oh yeah." He scowled, but the day was too sunny and bright for him to really be in a bad mood, even with such an assignment. "Once we're done with breakfast, you need to pack up enough clothing for a week and then we'll be on our way."  
  
"General Hammond agreed to this?"  
  
"Uh huh. Insisted on it."  
  
Sam looked down at her 'breakfast' and then at the rest of them. "I think I'll skip breakfast and just go pack. You guys go ahead and eat without me. I'll be right out."  
  
"Don't forget your toothbrush."  
  
"And bug spray."  
  
"And suntan lotion."  
  
Feeling very much like someone who was on her way to certain doom rather than someone who was merely going to camp for a week, Carter went down the hall and back to her room, wishing she'd have never given O'Neill a key to her house. 


	2. 2

O'Neill looked up from the newspaper when Carter finally came out, carrying a large duffle bag.  
  
"We're only going to be gone a week, Carter. Are you sure you left anything in your closet?"  
  
"I've never been to camp before, Sir," she told him, defensively. "I didn't know what to bring."  
  
Daniel grinned, "Don't listen to him, Sam. His big is probably twice as big as yours is."  
  
"I'm bigger than her," O'Neill said, shrugging. "My clothes take more space."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
The men all stood up, and Jack walked over to grab her bag. He started to heft it, grimaced and turned to Teal'c.  
  
"Teal'c?"  
  
The big Jaffa reached down and easily picked up Carter's bag. Without another word he went out Carter's front door, followed closely by the rest of the team. Teal'c secured her bag in the back of O'Neill's truck, and opened the door for Daniel and Sam to get into the jump seats in the extended cab. He was bigger than the others. As such, when they drove in O'Neill's truck he always got shotgun.  
  
"Are you certain you can locate this campsite, O'Neill?"  
  
"Of course, I can." Jack said. "I have a map."  
  
~~*~~  
  
It was many hours and a couple wrong turns later when they finally arrived. The camp was in a large clearing and consisted of one main building at the bottom of a small hill and several much smaller buildings surrounding it. A fenced corral was barely visible off into the wooded area to the right of the main building, and off in the distance was the sparkle of sunlight off a large body of water. Most likely a lake.  
  
"Nice place," Daniel said, getting out and stretching.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Sir? How are we going to hide Teal'c's symbiote?"  
  
"He'll keep a shirt on, and a hat."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"It's worked before."  
  
"Not with kids..." Carter had her own reservations about this whole idea, and was more than willing to use Teal'c as a good excuse to get out of it.  
  
"Yeah, well... we'll just be careful. Come on."  
  
O'Neill led the team into the main building, where they found a small group of people sitting in a large cafeteria, chatting. The group looked up when O'Neill and SG-1 walked in, and one stood up to walk over and greet them.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill? I'm Gary Hines, Camp Director." The man put his hand out.  
  
"Jack, please." He shook his hand, and gestured over to the rest of his team. "This is Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Murray."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please, come and meet the rest of the counselors." Gary led them over to the group of people, and introduced them all. "Miss Carter, you'll be with the Fifth grade girls with Sally and Jean, here. Your cabin will be France. Jack and Murray and Daniel will be with the fourth grade boys in China." He smiled, "Our cabins have names of different countries, to add a little more interest to things."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Have you had lunch? We ate an hour ago, but the cook can fix you something to get you through until dinner, if you'd like?"  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great."  
  
"Good! Why don't you go pick out your bunks before the kids start arriving, and get settled in, then come back down and have your meal?"  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
He went out and stood at the bottom of the hill looking up at the cabins, and the others gathered around him.  
  
"Well, Carter, we're going to China. If you get done in France before we do, come on over and we'll walk down together."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
As they were unloading their gear a very large black dog came rushing up to them, jumping up on Teal'c and wuffling happily. The Jaffa looked over at O'Neill, unsure if this was an attack or normal, and Jack shrugged.  
  
"Camp dog, most likely." Jack reached over and pulled the dog down off Teal'c, giving it a pat hello.  
  
"You've been to camp before, O'Neill?"  
  
Jack nodded, a far away look in his eyes for just a moment. "We used to send Charlie every year. He loved it. Sarah always insisted we drop him off and meet his counselors." He paused then visibly shook himself out of his reverie. "Not that it makes me a camping expert, but at least I know how to meet the parents if they come." He didn't say anything else, but he did give the dog another friendly pat before grabbing his bag out of the back of his truck and leading his team up the hill. 


	3. 3

China turned out to be a fair sized cabin at the very top of the hill. When they opened the door, they discovered assorted bunk beds and single bunks situated almost haphazardly along the walls, with two small windows letting in the afternoon sunlight. O'Neill dropped his bag on the single bunk next to the door, and looked around. The only other room was a large bathroom, and there was a small closet that would hold jackets and probably not much more.  
  
"Okay, guys, as I recall the counselor always had the bunk by the bed, to keep anyone from sneaking out at night."  
  
"Why would they sneak out?" Teal'c asked. "You said your son enjoyed his camp experience. Do some children not?"  
  
"I think it's more to make mischief, Teal'c," Daniel said, dropping his bag on a bunk near the back of the room. "You know, like panty raids in college. Well... no, you don't know. Never mind."  
  
Teal'c looked as though he was going to say something, but he didn't, instead setting his bag on a bunk near O'Neill's. He sat down and the bed creaked under his weight.  
  
"Are you certain this is where we are supposed to be sleeping, O'Neill?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty sure." Jack wasn't any more impressed with his bed than Teal'c was. The mattress was thin, and the sheets looked as they'd been there since the camp had opened. "Just make sure you don't get up on a top bunk, Murray, and you should be all right."  
  
"Indeed." Teal'c didn't sound quite so sure, but he didn't argue.  
  
"So. Everyone unpacked?" This was said sarcastically, since Daniel couldn't find any place to put anything, much less his clothing. The archeologist had brought a number of books that he wanted to look through, but there wasn't even a bookshelf. Or a dresser, or a shelf of any sort.  
  
There was a knock on the door and Carter appeared in the doorway. She looked around, grinning at the look on her team's faces, and noticed that they had even less storage than she did in her cabin.  
  
"All settled in?" She asked.  
  
"Oh yeah." Jack pointed to his bag, which wasn't opened, and he stuffed it under his bunk. "Look, all unpacked and everything."  
  
"Jean came by to tell me that the kids should be arriving sometime this evening, so we should have a chance to look around and get familiar with the area before they get here."  
  
"Not a bad idea," O'Neill said, standing up. He gestured for Daniel and Teal'c to join them, and the four walked back down the hill to the main building. Gary Hines was standing at the entrance waiting for them.  
  
"Find everything okay?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Jack said. "We thought we'd take a look around. That is, if you don't mind? You know, get our bearing and such."  
  
"No no, by all means, feel free to take a look." He pointed off to the right, "You'll find the lake there, which is where we keep the sailboats and canoes and the water stuff, of course." He gestured to the left, "The corral is that way, feel free to go meet the horses and see if there's any particular one you want to claim for the week." He smiled, throwing his arms out expansively, "My camp is your camp!"  
  
"Great."  
  
They turned and walked towards the lake. Not because they wanted to go there more than anyplace else, just because it was the way O'Neill turned.  
  
"You do not appear to be too enthusiastic about this assignment, O'Neill." Teal'c said as they neared the water moments later. There were two docks, about 200 feet away from each other, forming what was roped off to be a swimming area. Nearby was a small shack that when they looked into it they saw it held life vests and paddles.  
  
"Nah, I'm not completely against this assignment, Te-Murray," Jack said, looking into another closet in the shack and smiling when he saw fishing gear. "It's just not... something I would have chosen to do for myself."  
  
"I see."  
  
"But..." Jack pulled one of the fishing poles out of the closet and the others groaned. "Orders are orders," he said. The others left Jack standing in the shack, and he gave their retreating backs an innocent look. "What did I say?" When no one answered him, he sighed and put the fishing pole back, then went outside once more to join them.  
  
They spent the rest of the afternoon checking out the rest of the camp. Not only was there a corral filled with horses, there was also a large open field that was presumably used for football, soccer and other open space games. The rest of the counselors joined them a while later, introducing themselves as they showed the four some of the camp that they hadn't seen yet.  
  
"You've never counseled at a camp before?" Jean asked. She was a young woman, probably twenty or so, who was apparently infatuated with O'Neill to judge by the way she was looking at him.  
  
"Never." Teal'c said.  
  
"Nope." Daniel.  
  
"I never even went to camp." Sam said.  
  
"The children should be arriving soon," Tom, who was one of the fifth grade boys' counselors. "They'll be boisterous and loud, but mostly they're good kids. You guys should be fine. You three-"he pointed at Teal'c, Daniel and Jack, "have the youngest of the boys. They're always fun."  
  
Jack didn't look all that convinced, but he didn't say anything else. He just nodded, and joined the others when they went to the main building to prepare name tags and signs for the arrival of the campers.  
  
**  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Sorry it was short, but the campers will arrive next chapter and things will start getting interesting, I promise! Thanks for the reviews, and feel free to email me if you have anything you'd particularly like to see happen (and I'll consider it) : ) 


	4. 4

They found themselves standing under a sign taped to the wall that said 'China'. There was a table with a clipboard, and a list of 9 names on it. Next to the clipboard was a nametag for each camper that would be given to him when he was signed in. The kids were starting to arrive, and the room was filled with the murmur of kids talking excitedly and parents giving last minute instructions. Then the men of China had their first camper show up and they joined in the murmur as two anxious parents and a very small boy walked over to them. The father signed his son in on the clipboard, and the mother looked up at Teal'c, who looked down at the youngster with the friendliest expression he possessed. Which, Daniel had to admit, was rather intimidating.  
  
"Hi. I'm Daniel, and this is Murray," he said, holding his hand out to the mother. She smiled, relieved to be addressed by Daniel and not Teal'c, and put her hand on her son's bony shoulder.  
  
"I'm Miyra Stephens, and this is my son, Andrew."  
  
"Hi." Andrew held out his hand to Daniel, but he was still looking up – way up – at Teal'c. The big Jaffa reached out and took the mother's hand.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Uh, yes. You're going to be one of Andrew's counselors?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
The father took his son's nametag and pressed it onto his son's shirt. Smiling at Teal'c, he shook his hand. "Andrew's a little small, but he's scrappy. You'll see." Jack wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince Teal'c or himself, but the Jaffa nodded, although he had no idea what 'scrappy' was.  
  
"I am sure he is. He has that look."  
  
The boy gave him a nervous smile, but whatever he might have said was interrupted by the arrival of yet another youngster, and another set of parents. Then another. Soon they had nine young boys standing in front of them, and nine sets of parents standing against the wall to see how they'd fare.  
  
"So!" Jack took the lead, something he was used to doing, even under such a situation, and pointed at the piles of backpacks and pillows and duffle bags. "Let's get this stuff put away, shall we?"  
  
Mrs. Stephens came over and put her hand on Teal'c's arm. The Jaffa looked down at her.  
  
"You will take care of Andrew, won't you, Mr. Murray?" She asked. "He's never been to camp before."  
  
"Indeed I will. Fear not for his safety, I will die before I allow anything or anyone to harm him."  
  
She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that, but the sincerity in Teal'c's voice was clear to see, so she just smiled, and gave her son a final hug before she and her husband left.  
  
"You'd really die?" Andrew asked, dubiously, as he and Teal'c walked over to the pile of bags with the other boys.  
  
"You have been placed in my care and I have given my word to protect you." Teal'c said as if that explained everything.  
  
"What if I was attacked by a bear?"  
  
"Then I would kill it."  
  
"What if I was attacked by a mountain lion?"  
  
"Then I would kill it."  
  
Jack grinned, knowing that Teal'c had just opened himself up for a long night, and reached down to help one of the other boys with his bag.  
  
"What if I was attacked by a wild boar?"  
  
"Then I would kill it..." Teal'c's voice drifted off as he picked up Andrew's bag for him and the two walked out the door and up the hill. A couple of the other boys ran after them, each yelling out things that might attack Andrew that Teal'c could kill for him.  
  
"Your friend's awfully big." One of the boys said to Jack. He was a sturdy youngster with brown hair and eyes, and a slightly guarded expression. His nametag said Shawn.  
  
"That he is." Jack grinned, and held out his hand. "I'm Jack."  
  
"Shawn."  
  
"How old are you, Shawn?"  
  
"Nine."  
  
He reached down and picked up his duffle bag. "So... if I was attacked by some crazy wild animal would you kill it for me?"  
  
Jack grinned and grabbed up the boy's backpack for him. "If you promise to do the same for me if something attacks me."  
  
Shawn laughed, and nodded, "Deal."  
  
They walked out the door, following the crowds of children and counselors that were all heading up the hill towards their cabins. The other boys were already in the cabin when Jack and Shawn entered. Not surprisingly, Andrew had chosen the bunk above Teal'c's and was laying on it, looking over the edge at the Jaffa, who was sitting on his own, watching the boys unpack their stuff as well as they could. Which meant doing what Jack had done and sticking most of the bags under the beds.  
  
"How about a wild horse?"  
  
"I do not think you have to fear attack by an equine, but if one does attacks you I will kill it."  
  
Shawn looked at Jack, and grinned, and O'Neill couldn't help but smile when the boy took the bed above his.  
  
"What do you do for a living, Jack?" Shawn asked.  
  
"I'm in the Air Force."  
  
"Really?" The rest of the boys seemed to be impressed by this as well, and even Andrew stopped his litany of all the ferocious animals that might attack him.  
  
"Yup."  
  
"What rank are you?"  
  
"Colonel."  
  
"Wow. Do you have a gun?" One of the other boys asked.  
  
"Can I see it?"  
  
"Can I shoot it?"  
  
"Can you fly planes?"  
  
"Would you kill a wild bear with it if it attacked Andrew?"  
  
Jack looked over at Daniel, who just grinned.  
  
"You know, guys, Daniel here is an Archeologist."  
  
"A what?" The boys all turned and looked at Jackson, who cleared his throat.  
  
"An Archeologist."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's one of those people who you call and they tell you your fortune." Said one of the boys.  
  
"Nah, it's a guy who builds boats. Like Noah's Ark. Right?"  
  
Daniel shook his head, ignoring the grin on Jack's face. "No, guys. I dig up ancient ruins and study ancient cultures."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Daniel was floored. "Why?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Be-because it's interesting to see how they lived. What they did. To learn about them."  
  
"But they're all dead, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Then why do you care?"  
  
"Because it's interesting." Daniel said, unwilling to get into much more of an explanation just then. "You know, Jack has more than one kind of gun."  
  
The boys instantly turned their attention back to the Colonel.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"What kind?"  
  
"Is it an automatic?"  
  
"Can I see it?"  
  
Jack scowled at Daniel, who simply gloated. 


	5. 5

"What do you do, Murray?" Andrew asked, turning his attention back to his new friend.  
  
"I am in the Air Force as well."  
  
"Wow. With Jack?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Are you a Navy Seal?"  
  
"No, Stupid. He's in the Air Force. They don't have Navy Seals in the Air Force. Only Air Force Seals. Right, Murray?"  
  
Teal'c didn't have a clue, so he remained silent while the boys began telling each other what they'd do if they were in the Air Force with Jack and Murray. Jack smiled again. He'd forgotten how much fun a young boy could be. Charlie had been like that, too. Exuberant and easily excitable. He felt a pang of loss as he watched them, but the boys were too cheerful to allow him to be sad.  
  
"What are we going to do now, Jack?" Asked Shawn, who was sitting on his bed above and slightly to the right of Jack's. Next to Andrew's.  
  
O'Neill pulled the schedule out of his pocket and took a look.  
  
"Well, according to this, we're supposed to be getting acquainted right now – which we are – and then in about a half an hour we're supposed to go down to the main building to play some mixers."  
  
"What are mixers?" Andrew asked.  
  
"They're games, to help us get to know everyone else."  
  
"Can I be on your team, Murray?"  
  
"Indeed you may, Andrew."  
  
"Yeah, I want to be on Murray's team, too! Especially if we're doing tug-of- war."  
  
"Me, too!"  
  
"You can be on my team, Jack." Shawn said, loyally. He looked over at Daniel. "You, too, Daniel."  
  
"Thanks, Shawn." Jack stood up and ruffled the boy's hair, then opened the door. "Okay, Campers! Everyone get down to the main building. Last one there has to make my bed in the morning."  
  
There was a mad rush as the boys all jumped off their bunks and ran out of the building, racing with the natural exuberance of the young and very active. Teal'c headed for the door as well, turning to O'Neill as he passed him.  
  
"What is a tug-of-war, O'Neill?"  
  
Jack grinned, and shook his head, waiting for Daniel to pass him before leaving the room and shutting the door behind them. "You'll just have to wait and see, Murray."  
  
"But if we do have one, I want to be on your team, too." Daniel said.  
  
They were swarmed by their boys when they reached the bottom of the hill, all of them yelling to be heard over the others. Jack caught sight of Carter walking towards them surrounded by a group of young girls, and the major smiled when she saw the boys bouncing around her CO.  
  
"How's it going, Sir?" She asked him, coming up with her group of girls. The boys scowled when they saw the girls coming, but when they looked up to see Jack's reaction, they only saw a smile. Which made them put up with the intrusion. If he wanted to talk to the girls, the boys supposed it could be allowed. They'd run them off if they got really annoying.  
  
"Great, Carter. How about you?"  
  
"We're good."  
  
"Who's this, Sam?" One of the girls asked, obviously curious about them, although she noticed that most of them stayed well back from Teal'c. (Something the boys noticed immediately and with glee, and filed away for further use)  
  
"This is Jack," Sam told them all. "He's a friend of mine. This is Sandy, Patricia, Mary, Shelly, Danin, Angela, Katie, and Gina."  
  
"Is she in the Air Force, Jack?" One of the boys asked, ignoring the girls.  
  
"Yup."  
  
The boys looked at Carter with new interest, torn between their natural aversions to females in particular, and the fact that this one probably had a gun, too.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Why do you call her Carter and they call her Sam?" Shawn asked.  
  
"It's a habit," Jack said, pulling the boy close and putting his hand over his mouth to avoid any further questions. "Now you guys all get inside and get us the best spot."  
  
Shawn laughed and took off with the rest of the boys, and Sam smiled. "You handle them so well."  
  
"Thanks, Car-Sam." He looked down at her tribe of little girls, and saw that at least half of them were looking at Daniel speculatively. The archeologist was aware of the scrutiny and was trying his best to ignore it.  
  
"We better get inside, before they run amok."  
  
"Yes, yes..." Daniel said, heading for the door. "What would we do if there was a crazy bear in there attacking Andrew without us?" 


	6. 6

The mixers were a success. As the experienced counselors had known they would be. The boys didn't mingle with the girls all that much, and vice versa, but they weren't really expected to. The mixers were intended to get the kids in each cabin to bond a bit with their counselors. This was particularly easy for Jack, Teal'c and Daniel's boys. They were already in serious throes of hero worship when they looked at Jack and Teal'c. Daniel played in the rocks and that wasn't quite so cool, but he was obviously best friends with Jack and Teal'c, and that was cool by association. Which was close enough when you were nine.  
  
There were no tug of wars, much to the disappointment of the boys, who were certain that with Murray on their team they would have won easily, but there plenty of games that required thinking and remembering, and Daniel had proven a master at them, much to the boys' delight. They giggled and laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, running through the gym doing relays, learning the names and birthdays of everyone else in their cabins (which made Teal'c think fast, since he couldn't use his actual birthday, of course) and finally doing the fall of trust.  
  
The fall of trust had been quite an experience. Daniel and Jack knew they could trust Teal'c to catch them when they took turns closing their eyes and falling backwards into the arms of their boys and Teal'c. Teal'c knew that Daniel and Jack would have trouble catching him when he fell. Not that they wouldn't try, for he was certain they would, but they weren't all that strong, he knew. He pressed his hat down further on his head, and turned around to look at the group of boys that were supposed to catch him, with the help of their counselors. There was an identical look of determination on all their faces, and Teal'c wondered how many of them would be crushed under him when he fell.  
  
"Don't worry, Murray," Andrew told him from the middle of the pack, his scrawny body poised to catch his newest friend. "We won't let you fall."  
  
"I am not worried, Andrew," Teal'c told him. "I know you will do the best you can."  
  
He'd fallen then. Crossed his arms over his chest, closed his eyes and leaned backwards. And they'd caught him. Jack and Daniel had taken the brunt of his weight, but there were a dozen small hands on Teal'c when he felt his fall being halted, and he knew that none of the little ones had moved backwards in fear of being flattened. He grinned up at them when they lowered him to the floor, and they'd all smiled back, cheering for themselves, and him, while the rest of the campers continued their game.  
  
"We did it!"  
  
"He weighs a lot!"  
  
"Hey, Murray, did you see me catch you?"  
  
"Indeed I did not, but I felt you catch me."  
  
"Yeah. Just like a Air Force Seal would have done it!"  
  
Jack grinned; reaching his hand down and helping Teal'c back to his feet. "You expected to fall on your butt, didn't you?"  
  
"Indeed, I did, O'Neill." Teal'c said, still smiling. A truly fearful sight.  
  
"Amazing what kids can do when they get their minds made up, isn't it?"  
  
"Indeed." The kids had learned a lesson in trust, but so had Teal'c. He'd always trusted O'Neill and Daniel, but the big Jaffa was always reserved with who he could put his trust in, and had in one evening, playing one game, just added nine very small boys.  
  
That had been the last of the games, and when everyone had been caught by their cabin mates, they were sent off to get ready for bed and write letters home. The boys in China ran up the hill, screaming like banshees as soon as they were dismissed, proving that no matter how many games were played, they weren't anywhere near ready to go to sleep.  
  
Jack and Daniel were watching them run, followed closely by Teal'c, who was in charge of making sure they all brushed their teeth, when Sam and Jean and their brood of fifth grader girls came walking up to them. Jean smiled at Jack, who looked helplessly at Carter, and the little girls smiled at Daniel, en mass, who looked helplessly at Carter as well.  
  
"How's it going so far, Sam?" Daniel asked her.  
  
"Great, Daniel. You?"  
  
"We're fine." He looked uncomfortably down at the girls who were crowding around Sam and Jean, but were just as obviously watching him. Sam noticed the looks, and smiled.  
  
"Girls, you all remember Jack, right? And this is my friend Daniel."  
  
"Hi Daniel."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hi."  
  
Daniel waved his hand, smiling uncertainly. "Hello, you all. Having fun?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Sam smiled, and took pity on him, telling them all they needed to get up the hill and get ready for bed. There were groans all around, but they did as they were told, all of them heading up the hill, casting looks back at Daniel every now and then.  
  
"Is it my imagination, or are they watching you, Daniel?" Jack asked, grinning at his friend's discomfort.  
  
"They think you're cute," Jean said to Daniel, smiling and leaning a little towards Jack, who found it was his turn to feel a little uncomfortable at the attention.  
  
"Cute?" Daniel asked, slightly startled. "They're what, eleven?"  
  
"They're at the age," Jean said, knowledgeably, smiling.  
  
"Carter, we need to talk," Jack said suddenly, feeling Jean reaching out and touching his hand. He moved away suddenly, taking Carter's hand and pulling her off to the side, leaving Daniel and a surprised looking Jean standing there alone.  
  
Sam grinned, knowing full well what had made Jack so uncomfortable.  
  
"Yes, Sir?"  
  
"What's with her?" He asked, whispering, but making no effort to hide his discomfort.  
  
"She thinks you're cute, Sir." Sam said, hiding her smile behind her hand.  
  
"She's about as discrete as those girls are," he complained in a whisper.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir. There's not really much I can tell you that might help. She's hooked."  
  
Desperation coursed through Jack. He had to do something, or he was going to be dodging that crazy counselor all week. Jack was a preemptive strike kind of guy, one who saw a potential problem and took care of it before it could become a problem. Only one thing popped into his frantic mind at that moment, and he did it before he could stop and think about it. Bringing his hands up, he caught Carter's face in his palms and kissed her, hard. A deep kiss that caught Sam so completely off guard that she was returning it before she even realized what she was doing.  
  
Daniel stared. Jean stared. Everyone in the area stared. The kiss deepened for a moment, then Jack released Sam slowly, tenderly. He smiled, and took her hand, walking back to Jean and Daniel. Sam was too stunned to do anything more than follow him.  
  
"Sorry about that," Jack said to Jean and Daniel. "Couldn't wait a moment longer."  
  
"Um, yes." Daniel said, looking at Jack, and then Sam, who was blushing prettily. "I can understand that."  
  
"We'd better go help Murray get the boys settled for the night," Jack said, kissing Sam's hand before releasing it. "See you both in the morning."  
  
He turned and walked up the hill, followed closely by Daniel.  
  
"Um, Jack?"  
  
"Yeah, Daniel?"  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"What was what?"  
  
"That... um... incredibly sexy kiss that you just shared with Sam."  
  
"Ah." Jack smiled. The kiss had been very nice, he had to admit, but it had definitely had another purpose. "That was my way of keeping Jean at a distance. Think it worked?"  
  
Daniel looked down the hill to where Jean was obviously pressing her new friend for information on a relationship she hadn't even known existed. Unfortunately, Sam hadn't known it existed, either, and was thinking up a story off the top her head.  
  
"Um. Oh yeah, I'd say so." 


	7. 7

Author's note:  
  
Just a quick answer to a question in a review: Teal'c has the seal thing on his forehead, which he has to hide. But he also has a large X on his belly from his pouch (where his symbiote is) that they need to hide, since kids would obviously notice it and ask about it. That's what I meant by hiding the simbiote.  
  
Thank you for all the reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying this! I am, too.  
  
~~*~~**~~~  
  
Daniel and Jack entered the cabin, still discussing the kiss, when a large pillow came flying out of nowhere, and hit Jack right in the face. Daniel dodged out of the way, ducking into the doorway with an intense wariness that made it look for all the world as if he'd just gated into the middle of a firefight. The boys had much better aim than Jaffa. Another pillow came sailing from the back of the room, whacking him in the face as well.  
  
"Got him!"  
  
Daniel reached down and picked up the offending pillow, looking towards the source of the gleeful shout. It was Simon, one of the boys who was sleeping closest to his bunk. He'd already rearmed himself with Daniel's pillow, this time holding it, ready to swing to protect himself.  
  
Daniel looked for help, and noticed Teal'c had already been engaged by the enemy; the big Jaffa having been cornered by several pillow swinging assailants. He was putting up a valiant defense, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to be enough. There were just too many of them.  
  
Jack had noticed as well, and was rushing to Teal'c's aid, having armed himself with both his own pillow, and the one that had hit him on the way in the door. Two handedly swinging, it was obvious to Daniel that this wasn't his first pillow fight with youngsters. He was whacking the boys with exactly enough force to knock them back and not enough to hurt them, and the boys were loving it.  
  
Shawn was the first to fall to O'Neill's prowess with a pillow. The boy fell under a flurry of blows that he was laughing too hard to truly defend against, and once the Colonel had him down, it was a simple matter of sitting on him, pinning his body to the floor while swinging at the boys who'd come to rescue him, freeing Teal'c from enough assailants that he was able to gain a little more ground in his own defense.  
  
Daniel had only enough time to glimpse this before he was attacked once more. Simon had taken advantage of his distraction and had come up close enough to swing. It was a good one, hitting Daniel right in the stomach. The archeologist doubled over, pretending that it had nailed him a lot harder than it actually had, and then swung back, hitting the boy's legs out from under him. Simon shrieked with laughter and Daniel took a cue from Jack and pinned him down while he fought off the attack from another boy who'd come to the rescue.  
  
Finally, there had to be an armistice called for. Jack's arms were tired and he'd taken a shot to the groin that had truly hurt, even though he'd never have let the kids known. Teal'c was still backed into the corner, but Andrew had changed sides in the middle of the battle and was now fighting side by side with the Jaffa, using Teal'c's large body to block several blows from their attackers. Daniel had been taken out and disarmed, but he'd managed to trap one boy under his bunk even though the others were desperately fighting to free him. All in all, it had been a quite satisfactory pillow fight from all sides. But it had to end.  
  
Jack let Shawn up, grinning down at the boy and giving him an affectionate hug as he pulled him to his feet. A hug that was returned with a smile. Teal'c relinquished his pillow to one of the boys, and then stood up as well, pulling Andrew to his feet. Daniel was ransomed back to Jack and Teal'c for a candy bar, and the archeologist grinned when Simon gave him back his pillow.  
  
"All right, men," Jack said, sitting on his bunk and waiting until he had their attention. "Get into your jammies and brush your teeth, we have to get to bed. Lights out in ten minutes."  
  
There were assorted groans, but none of the boys argued. There was a rush to the bathroom and another rush to get their pajamas on, and most of them were sitting in their beds under their blankets by the time Jack's ten minutes were up.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Could you tell us a story?"  
  
Jack grinned, remembering a million times in the middle of the night how he'd hear that very question from his son. He wasn't a very good storyteller, though. Never had been. He didn't have the imagination to make up good ones, and the ones he'd lived through were not suitable for kids to hear. Especially not before bedtime.  
  
"You know..." he said, pulling out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to sleep in. "Daniel's an archeologist, remember? He knows lots of stories about things and people that haven't been seen in thousands of years. Why don't you ask him to tell you about some of them?"  
  
Daniel had been in the bathroom when Jack was suggesting this, and when he came out, he found himself under siege once more.  
  
"Daniel! Will you tell us a story?"  
  
"Yeah, a Archonimist story?"  
  
"That's not how you say it. It's Archolonist."  
  
"Is not."  
  
"Tell us a story about dead people, Daniel. Only not ghosts, I don't want to hear a ghost story."  
  
Daniel smiled, looking over at Jack, who gave him an innocent look as he pulled on his sweats.  
  
"They asked me for a story. You know how I am with stories. You're much better."  
  
"Uh huh." Daniel walked over to his bunk and pulled a book out from under it. "All right, you guys, I'll tell you a story." He waited until the last boy had settled into his bed, and then opened the book, rifling through it until he found what he was looking for.  
  
"Have any of you heard of Greece?"  
  
"Yeah, it's what's in French fries."  
  
"And hamburgers."  
  
"And it's on my sister's face."  
  
Daniel shook his head, grinning. "No. Greece. G-R-E-E-C-E. It's a place in Europe. There was a guy there named Hercules, a long, long time ago." He stood up and took the book around, showing the boys an illustration of the hero in question, then went back to his bunk and put the book away. Jack turned off the light as Daniel began his story of Hercules, the boys listening in the dark with rapt fascination as the Archeologist described the great deeds of Hercules to them. It had been a long day, however, and one by one they drifted off despite themselves, Daniel's soothing voice sending them to sleep, and dreams of heroes and villains, and pillow fights with Air Force Seals. 


	8. 8

A very loud horn sounded the next morning to wake the campers. A loud horn that had to be right under Jack's pillow from the sound of it. The Colonel groaned and lifted his head, noticing that daylight was filtering into the cabin through the gaps in the blinds on the windows. There was a groan from the other side of the cabin, and Jack heard Daniel rustling around in his bunk.  
  
"Morning already? It can't be." The archeologist covered his head with his pillow.  
  
Jack checked his watch. Sure enough, it was. Although six AM was a little early to start the first day of his vacation. He sat up, and reached under his bed to pull out his bag. Better to get showered and dressed before all the boys started clogging the bathroom.  
  
He nudged Teal'c silently as he passed his bunk, waking the Jaffa, and giving him a chance to get changed and showered before the boys were fully awake and moving around. As it was, from the looks of things, none of the boys had apparently even heard the horn. Or they were all pretending to be asleep so they could lounge in bed a few moments longer.  
  
Teal'c joined O'Neill, closing the bathroom door behind the two, and then waiting patiently for his turn in the shower. They didn't speak much, not wanting to disturb their boys, but then, the two of them never really had a need to fill up empty spaces with small talk anyways. Jack showered and shaved, then dressed and left the bathroom to Teal'c and walked out to wake up the kids.  
  
"Good morning, campers," he called, going from bed to bed, ruffling hair and tickling, and doing whatever else was necessary to make sure his charges were up. There was a lot of eye rubbing and yawning as the boys sat up in bed and looked over at the Colonel, waiting to see what he wanted them to do.  
  
"Murray's in the bathroom now. As soon as he's done, you guys have about an hour to get dressed and wake up." He looked at the schedule he'd pulled from the pocket of his jeans. "It says there's going to be an inspection of the cabins, so that means you'd better make your beds, too, okay?"  
  
There were general grunts of agreement, and a few groans, but Jack ignored them and looked back down at the schedule.  
  
"Breakfast is at eight. How many of you have watches?"  
  
A few boys raised their hands.  
  
"Okay, Simon and Andrew. It's your job to make sure everyone knows when it's 7:45, okay? That way no one is late for breakfast. Daniel will help you round them up, if you need help."  
  
He waited to see if there were any objections, but nobody said anything. Daniel privately thought that it was more because Jack had such a natural aura of command that the kids were obeying without even realizing it.  
  
"Okay. I'm going to go down and see about breakfast." Which roughly translated into 'I need a cup of coffee so badly I'm going to abandon Teal'c and Daniel to the mercies of you kids'  
  
"Make sure they having pancakes, Jack. I love pancakes."  
  
"And bacon!"  
  
"And sausage gravy."  
  
"I want cereal!"  
  
Jack nodded, grinned at Daniel, and then ducked out the front door of China and headed down the hill.  
  
The camp was quiet in the early morning. There were a few noises coming from the girls' cabins, but Jack didn't go close enough to hear what they were. He had one objective on his mind. He walked into the main building, and headed for the cafeteria. Opening the door, he saw that it was deserted, except for a couple of cook helpers who were setting up tables for the kids to eat at.  
  
The tables were round, and large. It looked to Jack as though they'd hold about twelve people or so, which was good, because that meant he could have his entire group of boys seated together where he could keep an eye on them. There was a smaller table near the door to the kitchen, and Jack saw that someone had set up a pot of coffee. He made a beeline for it, and gratefully poured a cup. The cook came out, then, and introduced himself. He was a tiny man with a grin that took up his entire face, and Jack liked him immediately.  
  
"Jared Miller."  
  
"Jack O'Neill."  
  
"I've never seen you here, before, Jack. Is this your first time?"  
  
"Yeah. First time being a counselor, too." Jack admitted.  
  
"Ah. How do you like it so far?"  
  
"It's a lot more fun than I expected it to be, truth to tell. I wasn't really enthusiastic when I was told I was coming, but I'm having a ball."  
  
"Oh, you were volunteered, huh?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Well, since you're new, how about I give you a rundown on how we're going to do the meals? That way you can pass it on to your boys when they come down."  
  
"Sounds good to me." Jack took another sip of coffee.  
  
Jared pointed at a serving window that separated the kitchen from the dining room. "That's where we put the food. Each table has one kid, called 'the runner' who is responsible for getting all the food for his or her table. This way we don't have a lot of kids on their feet when it's better to have only a few."  
  
That made complete sense to Jack. He nodded that he understood, and Jared continued.  
  
"The runner gets a plate of everything and takes it back to the tables until everyone has enough for firsts. Then he gets a chance to sit down and eat before he goes brings up the platters and bowls to get them refilled for seconds. We just keep loading them up until all the kids have had all they want."  
  
The door to the cafeteria opened and Carter walked in with Sally, the other France counselor. Jack smiled a welcome, and gestured for the two to join him. They walked over and Jack handed his cup of coffee to Carter, who really looked like she could use a cup.  
  
"Thanks." She took a sip, and Jack noticed that Jared was looking at her with appreciation. And not for her sharp mind.  
  
"You remember Sally, Jack?" Sam said, using his first name deliberately, even though it wasn't common for her to.  
  
"I do." Jack flashed Sally a smile, and poured her a cup of coffee as well. "Jared here was just explaining the runner system to me." He said, taking the other man's attention from Carter and bringing it back to him.  
  
"Sally has counseled here, before," Sam said, noticing the look Jared had given her. "She explained it to me." She took another sip of her coffee. "She also said it's not a bad idea for one of the counselors to be sitting at the table when the kids get here. That way they don't wander around looking for where they're supposed to be."  
  
"Good thinking."  
  
Sally smiled, "I've learned quite a few ways to make things a little smoother when it comes to getting the kids organized."  
  
"Sounds like it," Jack said. "I for one am always willing to get as many insider tips as I can."  
  
Jared was concentrating on Sam again, with a look that Jack knew well. He'd seen it on Jean's face just the night before. He could understand the man's infatuation. Sam was lovely, Jack knew. Especially freshly showered and looking so natural. Dress blues and military green really didn't look as good on her as a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt did.  
  
Sam noticed the looks as well, and reached out and took Jack's hand. She didn't say anything, although she did color slightly, and Jack understood immediately what she was doing. Preemptive strike! He squeezed her hand gently, to let her know that he was okay with the deception, and then turned back to his conversation with Sally and Jared.  
  
"Let's go get our tables," Sally said, smiling. "Sam and I will get the one next to yours, Jack. That way you two can be as close as you can." She led them to a couple of tables that had been set, and claimed a spot. Carter released Jack's hand and sat down next to Sally, while O'Neill sat at the next table over, only a couple feet from the two women.  
  
"So tell me, Jack," Sally said, as she got comfortable. "Is your friend Daniel married? Sam wouldn't say, although the girls pestered her all night with questions about him. Is he really an archeologist? That must make for some fascinating conversations."  
  
Wondering what it was about Daniel that had all the females in the camp so crazy, Jack sipped his coffee and allowed himself to be interrogated as they waited for their kids to arrive. 


	9. 9

They chatted for maybe fifteen minutes, with various sporadic little groups of counselors and campers making their way into the dining room. Jack was just beginning to wonder if he should go check on his guys when there was a scuffling at the door that made them all look up. Sam snorted, despite herself, and Jack was hard-pressed to hide a smile of his own. Teal'c had decided to use a red bandana on his head to cover his Apophis seal, wrapping it at his forehead and tying it around in the back. In the time- honored tradition of monkey-see-monkey-do, the boys had imitated him, and each of them was wearing a bandana as well.  
  
"They look like a band of pirates," Sam whispered as the boys, Daniel and Teal'c made their way across the room. It was true. Especially with Teal'c leading them, all muscles and serious face.  
  
Jack snickered, and Sally wiped a silent tear from her eye. They tried to hide their mirth as the group came closer, and Shawn came running up and took the seat on Jack's right.  
  
"Hey, Jack! What do you think?" he asked, pointing to the teal bandana he had on his head.  
  
"Looking good, Shawn."  
  
The boy beamed, and handed an identical bandana to O'Neill. "We brought one for you, too."  
  
The rest of the boys sat down, watching excitedly as Jack tied his own bandana on, and they cheered when he posed once he was done.  
  
"Looking good, Jack," Shawn said, grinning.  
  
Jean appeared, then, with the remainder of the girls from France, who were all looking at the boys from China as if they'd grown extra ears. They sat down at their table and Jack was relieved to see that Jean wasn't looking at him any differently than she was looking at the others at his table.  
  
"Good morning, ladies," he said to the girls.  
  
A couple of them smiled a little, but none replied. All of them were more or less watching Daniel, who was studiously looking at his fork. Sam grinned, knowing that Daniel wasn't used to this much attention, but unsure what she could do to help him out. Daniel was a good-looking guy. Besides, their other choices were Teal'c and O'Neill. Teal'c made all the girls – and most of the counselors – nervous just because of his sheer size, and Jack was older, and taken by Sam. They would interrogate Jack, eventually, because of that relationship, but also because of it, Jack was off limits. Which was fine with him, Sam was sure.  
  
Gary Hines came into the room, rescuing Daniel without even realizing it when he walked over to stand by the door. He explained the Runner rule to the new campers and counselors, then told everyone that each cabin would be inspected after breakfast, just to make sure beds were being made and messes were being cleaned up. He looked pointedly at the girls from France, and Jack wondered if something had happened in the past to make him wary of the France girls. After the announcements were made, Hines told the campers to pick a runner at each table and to enjoy their breakfast.  
  
"Who wants to be runner?" Jack asked his pirates. The boys all raised their hands. He grinned, and pointed at Simon.  
  
"You were one of the watch guys this morning, and you made sure that your cabin mates all made it here on time, so you get to be runner."  
  
"Andrew was a watch guy, too, Jack," Shawn said, pointing at the other boy, who was sitting next to Teal'c.  
  
"I know, Shawn," Jack said, smiling. "But we can only have one runner for each meal. Andrew? Do you mind waiting until lunch to be the runner?"  
  
The boy shook his head, grinning at the thought of being given such an important job.  
  
"All right." He gestured for Simon to get their food. "Let's eat, Simon."  
  
Breakfast was noisy. The campers – not just China – were all practically yelling to make themselves heard, and the clatter of dishes and silverware added to the banging of pots and pans from the kitchen only added to it. Not to mention the occasional spilled glass of milk, or dropped pancake, and the syrup bottle that spilled all over the middle of France's table, eliciting screams of dismay from the girls.  
  
None of the experienced counselors seemed concerned about the loud noise, or the messes, so Jack and his team assumed these were normal goings on in the course of camp life, and ignored them as well. Except Sam, who couldn't ignore the fact that syrup somehow seemed to be dripping into her shoe from the table.  
  
When the last pancake had been eaten, and the last kid had pushed his plate away, claiming he'd never be able to eat again, they were told to stack their dishes and then head up to their cabins, where they'd be dismissed to their morning activity.  
  
"What's our morning activity, Jack?" Asked one of the boys as he took O'Neill's plate and stacked it on Shawn's, then on his own.  
  
Jack pulled out the ever-present schedule and consulted it. "Looks like we're sailing this morning," he told them. Figures, since they were already dressed like pirates.  
  
Daniel finished his cup of coffee and stacked his cup with Jack's.  
  
"Should be fun, eh, Murray?"  
  
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at this. "I have never been sailing before."  
  
"Don't worry, Murray," Andrew said, patting his arm. "Sailing's easy. As long as you have wind. I've been lots of times with my dad."  
  
"Well, let's get up to the cabin and get ready for inspection," Jack said, standing up and looking down at his boys. The boys cheered and rushed out of the room in a group, leaving Daniel, Teal'c and Jack standing there alone.  
  
"Arrgghh," Sam gave O'Neill her best pirate impersonation, and the girls at the table started giggling. Jack tapped her on the nose, and Sam saw a twinkle in his brown eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. "Watch it, Sam. Your turn is coming."  
  
Carter only grinned as the men left, and she couldn't help but think that maybe this trip hadn't been such a bad idea after all. 


	10. 10

"There is no wind, O'Neill," Teal'c called. The Jaffa was sitting in the middle of the lake, in a boat that was obviously made for two, but perfect for one if they were sized like he was. O'Neill and Shawn were in another boat, close at hand, and around them was a little armada of other sailboats, all sitting motionless. The boys were all looking down at the water, or up at the sky, obviously unsure of what to do, and Daniel was with Andrew, who was trying to tack their own little boat, hoping to catch even a hint of breeze.  
  
"Well, shi-ooot," Jack muttered, looking over at Shawn, who was seated in the bow of the boat.  
  
"Too bad we don't have fishing poles, huh, Jack?" Shawn said. "Least we would have something to do."  
  
"We should have brought some with us," O'Neill agreed. Of course, the wind had been blowing when they'd left the boat dock in their little fleet. It had only stopped once they were so far out that the people swimming on the shore looked like little ants. He sighed, and looked around again, as though hoping an idea would hit him in the head. Nothing did.  
  
"What do we do, Jack?" Daniel called. "Row back?"  
  
"It's a long way to row, Daniel," O'Neill said, looking back at the shore.  
  
"We could swim back," Shawn suggested.  
  
"Nah, it's way too far to swim," Jack said. "I guess we'll have to row. Even though I was hoping nature would do all the work today. It's my vacation, you know?"  
  
"What do you do in the Air Force?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Mostly whatever my boss tells me to."  
  
O'Neill looked over at his little fleet, more to change the subject, and a couple of the boys waved cheerfully back.  
  
"Looks like we're rowing, guys." He called to them. "Everyone have a paddle?"  
  
They all did, and held them up to prove it.  
  
"Okay, we're going to stick together, okay? I don't want any of you getting too close to another boat, but don't go too far away, either. If the wind picks up, we don't want to be crashing into each other."  
  
There were nods all around, and the boys began rowing. When Shawn started to reach for his paddle, Jack held him back.  
  
"Not just yet. I want to wait until everyone else gets going. That way we can help if anyone needs it."  
  
"And you want to be able to watch them all, right?"  
  
"Well, you know... in case a crazy killer whale decides to attack Andrew and Murray can't get there in time to kill it."  
  
Shawn giggled, and sat with O'Neill in the boat, watching as the little boats all began rowing their way back to the boat dock. Teal'c was making the best time; his powerful arms more than making up for his lack of experience with rowing. The Jaffa was careful, though, not to get too close, just as O'Neill had said. He was out of his depth when it came to sailing and boats, and was not finding it to be anywhere near as relaxing as Andrew had promised it would be.  
  
When the last of them were well on their way, O'Neill picked up his paddle and dipped it into the water. If he'd been a sailor, he would have noticed the way the water was rippling, and would have known a breeze was coming. Andrew noticed, and pointed it out to Daniel, who passed the word to the next boat in line. Jack and Shawn were too far away to hear, though, and the breeze caught them both by surprise. The sail filled, whipping the tiller to the side, and sending the boom lashing at O'Neill, who was startled by the tiller hitting him in the hip.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
O'Neill looked up just in time to get a face full of fiberglass as the boom crashed into him.  
  
Shawn grabbed the rope that held the boom in place, and pulled it to the side, looking worriedly at his counselor, who was holding his face in his hands.  
  
"Jack? Are you all right?"  
  
O'Neill nodded, but when he pulled his hands away, there was a large bump already forming right above his left eye, there was a cut on his forehead, and his nose was bleeding.  
  
"Wow, that thing really got you good, didn't it?" Shawn leaned forward, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Jack didn't feel 'okay', but he wasn't going to black out or anything, so he figured he was probably going to make it back to shore without dying. He was also impressed that he'd managed to bite back the string of swear words that had almost automatically escaped his lips at the moment of contact. He looked at Shawn, who winced slightly.  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"You're bleeding." The boy told him.  
  
Jack turned and looked over at his little fleet, checking on the kids to see what progress they were making in the wind. They'd all had warning, thanks to Andrew, and had all been expecting the sudden change. As it was, they were all tacking towards the boat dock at a steady pace. All but Jack and Shawn.  
  
"Well, at least we don't have to row," Jack said, reaching for the tiller. "You want to secure that rope to the mast, then take over the steering for me?"  
  
Shawn smiled, glad that Jack hadn't seemed to taken any lasting harm, and did what he was asked, trading places with O'Neill and pointing the little boat towards shore. 


	11. 11

The camp lifeguards were good at their jobs. One had noticed that the sailboats were stilled when the wind died, and they'd been watching through binoculars, waiting to see if they were going to have to go out and bring the campers in, or if they'd be able to row themselves in. Since they were watching, one of the lifeguards had seen Jack take the shot in the face from the boom and had winced in sympathy. He'd had that happen a time or two, and knew it wasn't any fun. Just to be on the safe side, the lifeguard had radioed the camp nurse, and the woman was standing on the dock when China's fleet of sailboats came in.  
  
The boys didn't have a clue what had happened to Jack until Shawn had sailed the little boat in, calling to Teal'c to come help him.  
  
"Murray! Jack's been hurt!"  
  
The kids all gathered around, watching and worrying, asking what had happened, but the nurse came through the crowd, and as soon as Teal'c had taken the line and pulled the boat against the dock, she was already helping O'Neill out of the boat.  
  
"I'm all right, guys," Jack told his boys as he got out of the boat. It wasn't completely true, but he didn't like the scared looks on their faces. Andrew looked ready to cry.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"Doesn't it hurt, Jack?"  
  
The nurse had O'Neill sit down on the dock, and gave him a quick check up. Jack was used to such things, and pretty much knew what she wanted him to do before she told him. She checked to see how well he was focusing, checked his pupils, and asked him if he were having any blurry vision. When he told her he just had a headache, she nodded.  
  
"I bet you do." She probed the bump with gentle fingers but Jack still winced, and there was a collective wince from the boys that were surrounding them.  
  
"Well, an ice pack to get the swelling down, and no activities for you for the rest of the day, but unless you start feeling nauseous in the next few hours, you'll probably be okay."  
  
Jack nodded, looking up at Daniel and Teal'c, who were standing as close as the boys were.  
  
"You guys are on your own for a while, I guess."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Do we finish sailing?" Daniel asked, dubiously.  
  
"I don't want to sail no more!" Simon said, taking a look at the bruising that was forming on Jack's face.  
  
"Me either!"  
  
"Not me!"  
  
The boys had obviously had enough sailing for the day.  
  
"You two get him to the cafeteria so he can stay still with an ice pack for a while," The nurse told Teal'c and Daniel. "If your boys don't want to finish their activity, they don't have to. Maybe they'd like to stay and keep him company."  
  
"We could play cards," Daniel suggested.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Rummy!"  
  
"No, poker!"  
  
Jack didn't care what they played; he just wanted that ice pack.  
  
"We'll decide when we get there," He told them, reaching a hand up to Teal'c, who helped him to his feet. The nurse was watching closely, making sure that when Jack stood up he didn't swoon. O'Neill was reminded of Fraiser, and couldn't help but scowl at the scrutiny. Which didn't help his head.  
  
Shawn reached out and took Jack's hand, watching him as closely as the nurse was. Andrew took his other hand, and with an escort of seven other boys, one archeologist, a Jaffa, and a nurse, O'Neill made his way up to the cafeteria.  
  
They sat him down in the same chair he'd sat in at breakfast, and the nurse and Daniel had went off to get an ice pack from the cook, who came out and took a look at Jack's face, wincing in sympathy. It was a look Jack was already tired of seeing.  
  
"Bet that hurt," Jared said, handing Jack a plastic bag of ice, wrapped in a dishtowel, as the nurse handed him a couple aspirin and a glass of water to wash them down.  
  
"Yeah, a little." Jack leaned his head back slightly and pressed the ice pack against his nose and eye.  
  
"Your face is all bloody," Shawn told him.  
  
"You look like you just got beat up," Simon said.  
  
"I feel like I got beat up," Jack agreed.  
  
"I'll bring you a towel to clean up with, Jack," Jared told him, excusing himself.  
  
The nurse left as well, after issuing orders that the boys were to come get her if Jack looked at all like he was feeling any worse. When she was gone, the boys all gathered around, looking at Jack with worry still etched on their little faces.  
  
Guys, I'm fine," Jack told them, looking at them through the eye that was swelling shut. "It just looks bad. It doesn't hurt all that much anymore."  
  
They didn't look convinced.  
  
"I thought you were going to play cards?" He said, trying to distract them.  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"I have cards in the cabin."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
"Should we go get them?"  
  
Daniel nodded, saving Jack the trouble of doing it, and sent the two boys that had brought cards from home to go get them.  
  
"What are we going to play?" Asked Andrew, who seated himself next to Teal'c.  
  
"Old Maid?"  
  
"Poker!"  
  
"We'll let the kids with the cards decide," Jack said. "Since they're the ones who thought to bring some." 


	12. 12

In the end, they played Rummy. It turned out to be the only game all the boys knew how to play, and it was one that could be taught to Teal'c with relative ease. Jack didn't play, but Teal'c sat next to him, and the Colonel advised. All in all, aside from the aching in his head, it was a pleasant way to spend the rest of the morning. Far better than sitting on the lake wishing for a breeze.  
  
Around lunchtime, the boys and Teal'c and Daniel went up to the cabin to clean up for lunch, but Jack didn't go. The pounding was finally beginning to go away, and he wasn't going to move if he didn't have to.  
  
"Wow, what happened to you?"  
  
Jack looked up and saw that Sally had entered the dining room, probably to stake out her table for her campers.  
  
"Sailing accident," Jack explained.  
  
She winced, and O'Neil scowled. Then winced. Which caused her to wince again.  
  
"You look awful."  
  
There wasn't much he could say to that. Sally sat down and chattered with him, showing him the braided leather bracelet she'd made in arts and crafts, which was what France had been scheduled for as their morning activity.  
  
"Wow, what happened to you?"  
  
Jack scowled, and looked up at Sam, who'd entered the dining hall with a few of her girls.  
  
"Sailing accident," Sally answered for him, smiling and moving over a chair so Carter could sit in the one closest to Jack.  
  
"Looks painful," Sam noted as she sat down. The girls that were with her all gave Jack sympathetic looks, and he wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and disappear. Luckily, Daniel, Teal'c and the boys arrived back in the cafeteria just then, along with the rest of the France girls and Jean.  
  
Daniel sat next to Jack, who noticed he was wearing half a dozen braided leather bracelets on his wrist. Daniel followed Jack's gaze and looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Apparently, today was arts and crafts day for France," he explained. "Some of the gilrs made them for me."  
  
"Ah."  
  
The boys scowled at the girls, who promptly ignored them, and turned their attentions to each other, although occasionally one would look at Jack's bruised face, or at Daniel.  
  
"Did you see Jack's face, Sam?" Shawn asked, sitting next to his counselor. He didn't mind talking to Carter. She was Jack's friend, and was in the Air Force with him. That made her almost as good as boy.  
  
"Yeah, I saw it. How did it happen?"  
  
"He got hit with the boom." Shawn shook his head. "I tried to warn him, but it happened too fast."  
  
"I'm sure you did your best," Sam said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah. You should have seen him; he was all bloody and had a huge bump." Shawn pointed at the spot above Jack's eye that was bruised the darkest.  
  
"You're okay, now?" Carter asked O'Neill.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just excused from activities for the rest of the day."  
  
She was going to say something else, but Gary Hines stepped into the room and made the few announcements that needed to be made before lunch, mainly warning the kids not to wander off without a counselor. Then he told the tables to pick their Runners, and announced that lunch was officially started.  
  
"Andrew's Runner," Simon reminded everyone, before anyone could ask to be chosen. The small boy practically jumped out of his chair and rushed up to grab a platter of sandwiches for his friends.  
  
"What are we doing after lunch, Jack?" Shawn asked while he waited for the rest of the food to be brought to the table. O'Neill pulled out the schedule and looked at it.  
  
"We have a nature hike," he told them.  
  
"You're not allowed to come, though, right?"  
  
"No. I'll come next time."  
  
"Do you want us to stay and keep you company?"  
  
Jack shook his head. "No, you guys go ahead. I'm just going to relax here, like the nurse wanted me to." He leaned closer to Shawn, who leaned close. "I'm counting on you to help Murray and Daniel keep an eye on everyone else, okay?" he whispered.  
  
Shawn squared his shoulders, proud that Jack had trusted him with such an important duty.  
  
"I'll do that, Jack. You can count on me."  
  
Sam smiled to herself from the other table, having heard every word, even though she was probably the only one who'd been close enough to. Jack was so good with the boys. She wondered why he was so bad when it came to dealing with grown ups. 


	13. 13

Author's note: hehe, Sam has her own kids to watch, she can't be hanging out with Jack all day. Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews! Make sure you let me know what you like, and what you don't, although try to remember that I'm writing a lot of characters in this story, and if I mix names up it's just because I finally cracked under the pressure of keeping up with so many characters! (and, I'm not an archeologist, or a sailor, so if I get some details wrong, sorry)  
  
~~~~*~~~**~~~~  
  
Once everyone had eaten their fill, and the dishes had been cleared, the boys all gathered around Teal'c and Daniel, who were going to be taking them on their nature walk. Gary Hines had come by while they were eating and had checked on Jack, giving him the same look that everyone else had when they saw his face. A look Jack was heartily tired of.  
  
"You're not going on the walk, right, Jack? The nurse says you're to relax the rest of the day?"  
  
O'Neill nodded. "I'll be sticking around here. Daniel and Murray will be taking the kids, though, and they'll be fine."  
  
"Even if we're attacked by a wild bear," Andrew piped up.  
  
"You shouldn't see any bears," Gary said, smiling at the boy, and handing Daniel and Teal'c each a copy of a map. "Just keep within the boundaries of the camp and you'll be fine. If you do get lost, walk due south until you hit the road, then follow it back in."  
  
"We will not get lost," Teal'c said with certainty, taking the map and looking at it with interest.  
  
"Good." He gave Jack's face another sympathetic look, then left them to go check on the Switzerland girls, who were looking far too guilty for his own comfort.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay, Jack?" Shawn asked, putting his hand on the Colonel's arm.  
  
Jack smiled, and shook his head slightly. "As much as I'd love the company, I think you should go with the others. It should be a lot more fun than hanging out here and taking care of me."  
  
"Yeah, probably." Shawn agreed. "What are you going to do while we're gone?"  
  
"You can read my comic books, Jack!" Simon told him.  
  
"You could write a letter to my mom."  
  
"You could remake my bed so it's as nice as yours."  
  
"You probably shouldn't go sailing."  
  
"Have another cookie! And save one for me!"  
  
"Me too!"  
  
Jack grinned, and held up his hands for silence, which the boys gave him almost immediately. "Just make sure you guys have fun, okay? Don't worry about me, I'll find something to do."  
  
They all took off, then, giving Jack waves of farewells, and Andrew even gave him a hug. Jack watched them follow Teal'c and Daniel out the door, and could hear them shouting and yelling for a few moments longer.  
  
"Going to do a little fishing, Sir?" Sam asked, coming up to stand next to the chair he was still sitting in.  
  
"Nah, I thought about it, but I really don't feel like it right now."  
  
Sam frowned in mock disbelief and put her hand on his forehead, as though checking for a fever. "Are you sure that thing didn't knock something loose? I don't think I've ever heard you say that before."  
  
He just smiled, and asked her what she and her girls were scheduled to do that afternoon. Before she could answer, though, one of her girls came running up and grabbed her in a hug, looking at Jack with that same look of sympathy. He wondered if he should take a glance in the mirror and see just how bad his face looked to be getting him all the looks.  
  
"We're horseback riding, Jack," Sam said. "Want to come watch?"  
  
"So tempting, Carter," he told her in a voice that was oozing sarcasm, although his smile was sincere, as was the twinkle of good humor in the eye that wasn't bruised and swollen. "You gals go on without me. I think I'll go read a comic book up in China."  
  
He watched them leave, and stood up, wincing as he did so. His head was still sore, even though the throbbing had pretty much subsided. He stopped at the nurse's office and mooched a few more aspirin off her, told her was fine, then went up to his cabin. He wasn't actually planning on reading the comic book, but he did notice it sitting on Simon's bed, and he walked over and looked at it. Then flipped the page and looked at it some more. Then shrugged, and took it back to his own bunk, where he could read it without standing up. 


	14. 14

"What, exactly, does one do on a Nature walk, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked as he and Daniel led their group of chattering boys out past the horse corral and into the wooded area of the camp.  
  
"Well... you look at nature." Daniel said, gesturing to the trees all around them. "And... um... you walk." Several of their boys ran past them, following a trail that had obviously been made over countless years of nature walks. "And sometimes you run."  
  
Teal'c looked at him, waiting for more, but Daniel didn't have anything to add.  
  
"I haven't actually been on a nature walk, before, Murray," he admitted. "I guess you have to think of it as a reconnaissance hike. Only without the guns, and the tense nervousness of waiting for something to spring out at you."  
  
Teal'c didn't look at all convinced, but he nodded. "Very well."  
  
"Hey guys?" Daniel called, and waited for the boys who had run ahead to come back and rejoin the main group. "I don't want you all running off too far, okay?" He pointed to the path. "We'll stay in sight of the path and within hearing of Murray and I. That way we can stick together."  
  
"It's too bad Jack couldn't come," one of the boys said.  
  
"Yes," Daniel said, agreeing completely. "He doesn't know what he's missing out on, does he?"  
  
"We should bring him stuff," Said Simon. "So he can see what we saw."  
  
"That's a great idea, Simon." Daniel said. "While we're walking, let's look for stuff that Jack might like to see."  
  
Teal'c looked around as they led their boys further into the woods, but he wasn't looking for items for O'Neill. Without realizing it, his second nature had kicked in, and he was looking for trouble where none would be seen immediately. After all, he'd made an oath to Andrew's mother that he would watch the boy. And that meant keeping anything away from him that might harm him.  
  
"Hey Daniel?" Teal'c looked over to see that Shawn had taken off down the path, and was a good hundred feet away, partially hidden in the undergrowth. "Can you hear me now?"  
  
~~*~  
  
They walked for almost a half an hour, the boys chattering excitedly and stopping occasionally to pick something up off the ground and stuff it in a pocket. Daniel didn't ask what they were collecting, certain that he didn't want to know. He'd been concerned at first that one of the boys would wander off the trail and out of hearing, but Shawn had fixed that with his original yell. Now the woods echoed with a sporadic 'Can you hear me now?' and if the boy didn't get an answer, he'd come trotting back until he did. It wasn't as good as tying them all together with a rope to keep them together, but it was far more effective than he had originally thought it would be.  
  
Of course, Teal'c was helping a great deal. Whenever he thought a boy was wandering too far away, he'd simply bellow the name of the lad in question, which had the instant affect of bringing him back to a more manageable distance. He was watching the boys intently, pointing out untied shoelaces, and roots or other obstacles in the trail that might be a hazard to them. Obviously Teal'c was taking his duties seriously, and was watching the boys like a mother hen. A mother hen to be reckoned with.  
  
When Andrew started flagging after another fifteen minutes of hiking, Teal'c simply picked the boy up and put him on his shoulders to give him a rest. After that, of course, all the boys had to have a turn, although they luckily only asked Teal'c. Daniel was sure he might be able to tote Andrew around, who was considerably smaller than the rest of his cabin mates, but he didn't think the others would be quite so easily.  
  
"Daniel!" Shawn came running up with a small group of the boys at his heels, brandishing something in his small fist. "Look what I found!"  
  
He handed the item over to Daniel, who looked down at it.  
  
"Hey! An arrowhead." Daniel examined it carefully.  
  
"Is it really?" Shawn couldn't hide his excitement, nor did he bother trying. He looked at the other boys, "I told you!"  
  
"Yes," Daniel said as the rest of the boys gathered around. "It's Ute. They used to live in this area for hundreds of years." He pointed to the edge of the arrowhead, which was in as good a condition any Daniel had ever seen. "You see the way the edge is chipped so it has a little bit of a barb? That's how you know what tribe of Indians made it. Because some tribes made theirs different ways."  
  
"How do you know that?" one of the boys asked, genuinely impressed.  
  
"He's a arconogist, remember?" Answered another before Daniel could say anything.  
  
"That's not how you say it. It's Ackinologist."  
  
"No, there's an R in there somewhere."  
  
Daniel smiled and handed the arrowhead back to Shawn. "Hold onto that, Shawn," He told the grinning boy. "It's really a good find."  
  
Shawn put it in his pocket and ran off to see what else he could find, followed closely by a few others, all of whom were watching the ground to see if they, too, could find an arrowhead.  
  
There were other finds, that afternoon. By the time Daniel and Teal'c had decided they'd gone far enough and started the boys heading back to camp, one of the boys had found a piece of shale that he'd thought was pretty cool looking and had brought it back to Daniel to see. Daniel had been suitably impressed, but then had surprised the boy by breaking it with another rock, making sure to angle the crack, and the boys had all shouted excitedly when the broken rock exposed a thin line of gold metal.  
  
"It's not real gold," Daniel had explained to them before they could all start thinking they were rich. "It's called fool's gold. It's Mother Nature's idea of a good joke to play on people who were coming up here to mine way back when."  
  
"It's cool." One of the boys said, and again, the search was on, this time to find more fool's gold. Enough that everyone could have some.  
  
"Murray!" Andrew came rushing up to Teal'c for the millionth time that day. Teal'c looked down, and Andrew handed him a little lizard. "I found him on a tree! Isn't he neat?"  
  
The Jaffa looked at the small creature in his hand, and then at the boy. Daniel was certain that Teal'c didn't think the lizard was quite as 'neat' as Andrew did, but he hid his smile and watched.  
  
"It is, indeed, Andrew," Teal'c said, giving the boy a smile.  
  
"You can keep it, if you want."  
  
Daniel was suddenly in the midst of a coughing fit as he hid his sudden laughter at the look on Teal'c's face. It was obvious the last thing the Jaffa needed, or wanted, was a pet lizard.  
  
"If we take this creature from his home, do you not think his mother would miss him, Andrew?" Teal'c asked. The boy's face fell, and it was obvious he was thinking about that.  
  
"I didn't think about that, Murray," Andrew admitted, taking the little lizard back from him. "I better put him back where I found him, huh?"  
  
"Indeed. So he will know his way home." Teal'c smiled once more, and Andrew grinned, then took off at a dead run back the way he'd come.  
  
"I couldn't have said that better myself, Murray," Daniel said as the boy disappeared into the brush, a loud rustling all that showed them which direction he was going. "How did you think of it so quickly? I thought sure you were going to end up taking it back to camp with us."  
  
"Major Carter one time used that line when Cassandra came up with a lady bug on her finger." Teal'c explained. "I merely adapted it to my own use."  
  
"Ah." 


	15. 15

Jack was bored.  
  
He'd read the comic book that had been sitting on Simon's bed, which had turned out to be far more interesting than he'd thought it could have. Normally a firm believer in the privacy of others, Jack nevertheless snooped through Simon's bag and pulled out the rest of the stash, telling himself that the boy had told him he could read them. He'd carried them all to his bunk and had read them. Then had looked in vain for some he might have missed. Reconciled to the fact that he wasn't going to find any more, Jack had sighed and repacked Simon's bag, refolding the shirts and jeans, and putting the comic books back where he'd found them. Then he'd left the cabin, which was far too quiet, and went out to find something to do.  
  
Almost immediately, the camp nurse had found him. Jack scowled as the woman came up to him, wondering if people in the medical profession had some sort of radar that let them know when a patient of theirs was in the process of doing something against doctor's orders.  
  
"Mr. O'Neill? How are you feeling?" She asked, her keen eyes checking his pupils in the late afternoon sun.  
  
"I'm fine," he told her, holding still so she could see whatever it was she was looking for. "And call me Jack, please."  
  
"You're not dizzy? No blurry vision?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Then I suppose you can join your boys for their activities tomorrow. Just be careful not to do too much, and come to me if you start feeling poorly."  
  
He promised her that he would, and made his escape, heading for the cafeteria where he hoped he'd find a cup of coffee and no one to wince at him. He was out of luck. Not only was the coffee pot not turned on, but Jean was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, talking to one of her girls, who looked to be in the middle of some kind of tantrum.  
  
Both females looked at him as he came into the room. And both winced at the bruising on his face. Luckily, the girl was far more interested in her own bad mood than she was in Jack's injuries, and she went back to her glowering, forcing Jean to focus on her instead of Jack. Giving the coffee pot the same look Jack would give a traitor, he sighed and walked back outside, hoping to avoid whatever was going on with Sam's kids. And again, he was out of luck.  
  
Carter was standing with another girl behind the main building. This girl was in tears, and Sam was obviously trying to calm her down. O'Neill tried to walk away unobserved, but Carter beckoned him over.  
  
"Jack! Come here a moment, will you, please?"  
  
He groaned, inwardly, and walked over. The little girl was too upset to even wince at him, although Sam did. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder, but addressed the Colonel.  
  
"Do you think Gina looks nice in this shirt?" Sam asked.  
  
Wondering briefly if the answer was supposed to be yes or no, Jack went out on a limb and nodded, forcing an uncomfortable smile.  
  
"She looks great in it, Sam." He said, and then looked at the girl, trying for a more sincere smile. "You look beautiful."  
  
"See?" Sam said, flashing O'Neill a look that told him he'd chosen properly. "Jack thinks you're pretty. Why would you worry what Shelly thinks? She probably wishes she had a shirt like yours."  
  
Fairly certain that Shelly was the little girl in the cafeteria with Jean, Jack was grateful that he was counseling boys. He couldn't imagine Shawn coming up to him crying because one of the others had said his shirt was ugly.  
  
However, he wasn't completely immune to the tears of a little girl, and found himself kneeling down in front of her.  
  
"Sam's right," he assured her, reaching out and drying her cheeks with his hands. "Your shirt is wonderful, and I bet everyone in your cabin wishes they had one."  
  
Gina didn't look entirely convinced, but she did stop crying.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"My sister made it for me at school," Gina said. "I got to pick out the color and everything."  
  
"She did good," Jack guaranteed her.  
  
"Shelly said it's ugly."  
  
"She probably wishes her sister had made her one."  
  
"She doesn't have a sister."  
  
"Then she probably wishes she had your sister."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
The girl looked up at Sam, who was watching the conversation with interest, seeing a side of Jack that he normally didn't show anyone.  
  
"So she's probably jealous?"  
  
Carter nodded, "Maybe." She knelt down next to Jack in front of the girl. "Jealousy can make people say things they don't mean, Gina. I know you and Shelly like each other and that Shelly doesn't want to hurt your feelings. She's probably very sorry."  
  
She hadn't looked all that sorry to Jack, but he didn't say anything. Most likely, by the time Jean was done with her, she'd be more than ready to apologize.  
  
Gina sniffed, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, looking from Jack to Sam and back again as though trying to decide if they were right or not. Eventually she must have decided they were, because she threw her arms around Jack happily, much to Carter's amusement.  
  
"That means she'll have to be extra nice to me to make up for being so mean, doesn't it?"  
  
Jack hesitantly patted the girl's back, looking at Sam for an assist, but Carter was quiet, waiting for the Colonel to answer. The Colonel who had absolutely no idea what went on in the minds of little girls, and didn't know if she were entitled to extra niceness or not.  
  
"Uh... yeah, I think so..." he said, uncertainly, giving Carter a look that plainly said she was going to pay for her silence. "You wait and see. She'll come around."  
  
With that assurance, Gina let go of Jack, who stood up quickly, eager to be gone.  
  
"I'll go find her," the girl said.  
  
"Actually," Sam said, standing up as well. "Why don't you wait until she finds you?"  
  
"Even better."  
  
Gina looked up at Jack, as though asking his opinion, and he nodded his agreement, even though he had no idea why she should wait. Probably another girl thing.  
  
"Come on, Gina," Sam said, taking the little girl's hand. "Let's go and find everyone else and see what they're doing. We don't want to waste any of our day being upset, do we?"  
  
"No." Flashing Jack a brilliant smile that would someday break a million hearts, the little girl turned and left with her counselor, who looked over her shoulder and gave Jack a smile as well.  
  
"Where are my boys?" Jack groaned, wanting more than anything to get himself back on solid footing that he understood. 


	16. 16

"Jack!"  
  
He was sitting in the cafeteria. An almost completely empty cafeteria that had no little girls being lectured by their counselors. Jean and Shelly had cleared out, and Jack had peeked in to see if they were really gone before he went in and started a pot of coffee.  
  
Jared had come out and chatted with him for a while, mostly asking about his relationship with Sam, although he changed the subject to politics and the military when he found out Jack was in the Air Force. The cook had to get dinner going, though, so he hadn't stayed long, leaving O'Neill to enjoy his cup of coffee in peace.  
  
He looked up at the sound of his name being called, and smiled when he saw his boys all pouring through the door, dirty and excited to see him. Jack found he was just as happy to see them.  
  
"Hey, guys!"  
  
They crowded him, pushing and shoving to get a chance to hug him.  
  
"How was the walk?"  
  
"It was great! We found fool's gold!"  
  
"And neat rocks!"  
  
"And a lizard, but I didn't keep him so his mom wouldn't miss him."  
  
"Shawn found a arrowhead! A real one!"  
  
"Really?" Jack looked with interest at the boy who'd managed to snag the chair next to his, and Shawn nodded and handed it over. Jack studied it carefully, although Daniel knew he was doing it more for show than anything.  
  
"It's Ute," Shawn said. "Daniel said that they lived all over this area."  
  
"Daniel's usually right about such things," Jack told the boy, handing the arrowhead back to him. "It's a great find, Shawn. Good job!"  
  
Shawn preened, and put the arrowhead back into his pocket.  
  
"We found stuff for you, too, Jack!" One of the boys said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an assortment of rocks and twigs and setting it on the table in a stack.  
  
"Yeah, I found this for you. It's a four leaf clover, but I think the other leaf fell off, so now it's just a three leaf clover, which isn't so lucky."  
  
"I got a piece of tree bark that looks like Murray!" The bark landed in the middle of the growing pile and Jack picked it up and compared it to Teal'c, who was standing next to the table. It actually did look a little like him.  
  
"We found all sorts of stuff."  
  
"This rock is purple. I thought that was kind of neat, huh?"  
  
"I got you a dirt clod that looked like a horse, sort of, but it crumbled in my pocket when I tripped. Sorry." A handful of dirt joined the pile.  
  
"I found a green rock." A small green rock was put into the pile and Jack picked it up, looking at it carefully.  
  
"This isn't a rock, Simon," he said grinning. "It's deer droppings."  
  
"A deer dropped it?"  
  
"No," Said one of the other boys who knew what Jack meant. "It's deer poop!"  
  
"Eewww!"  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Let me see!"  
  
The boys handed the deer droppings back and forth as the adults looked on in amusement.  
  
"What did you do while we were gone?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Oh, I read Simon's comic books, and talked to the nurse, and hung out at the cabin for a while. Then I came down here and talked to Sam, and then I talked to the cook and convinced him that you guys would need a special treat when you got back from your hike because you'd be extra hungry from all that walking."  
  
"You got us a treat?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Is it chocolate?"  
  
"There's a plate of brownies up in the cabin. Wait!" The boys had all rushed towards the door, but came back when Jack beckoned them to come back to the table. "First things first. You need to take my pile of goodies, sans the deer droppings, and put them on the floor by my bunk where I'll be able to find them. Then put the deer droppings outside the cabin, so we don't have to worry about smelling it all night. THEN you have to wash your hands before you have your brownies. Deal?"  
  
"Deal!"  
  
They all grabbed up the treasures they'd brought Jack, and rushed out of the room.  
  
"I think I'll go make sure they dispose of the deer poop properly," Daniel said, smiling. "How's the head?"  
  
"It feels awful, thank you." Jack grinned, though, to show he didn't really mean it.  
  
"It looks positively painful."  
  
"Yeah, well. Next time I go sailing I'll wear a helmet." He looked at Teal'c. "Did you enjoy the walk?"  
  
"Indeed. Much more than sailing."  
  
"Yeah, well. I agree, Murray. Feet definitely belong on the ground."  
  
Daniel and Teal'c left him alone to clean up, and get ready for dinner, and Jack sat in relative silence once more, enjoying his cup of coffee while he had the chance. 


	17. 17

Author's note: Again, thank you for reviews! It's fun to know people are enjoying this as much as I am. I'll definitely try to keep the chapters coming, and I'll hope you forgive me for making them short compared to others I've seen. I just break them off when I get to a good place.  
  
~~~*~~  
  
Right before dinner, Jack left the dining room. First, he wanted to wash his hands, since the little green rock that Simon had brought to him was still fresh in his mind, but he also wanted to get out of the way of the cook's helpers as they were setting the tables. Besides, he was getting tired of the looks they were giving him, wincing every time they glanced his way.  
  
He washed his hands and almost tripped over Jean on the way out of the bathroom. She smiled, although she did the customary 'glance at the bruises and wince in sympathy' thing as well.  
  
"Hi Jack! How's the head?"  
  
"Fine, Jean, thanks." He gave her an uncomfortable smile, and when she didn't make any move to leave, he groaned inwardly and continued the conversation. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, fine, thank you. We had a bit of a spat earlier, as you know, but it's been smoothed over now."  
  
"Glad to hear that."  
  
He was saved by the arrival of his boys. The entire cabin came at him in a rush, calling his name, and Jack smiled a welcome to them.  
  
"Hi Jack!"  
  
"Great brownies, Jack!"  
  
"I had three!"  
  
"He ate yours."  
  
They dodged past Jean and surrounded their counselor, followed closely by Daniel and Teal'c.  
  
"You guys know Jean, right?" Jack asked, introducing the other counselor.  
  
"Sure. She's in Sam's cabin, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
Shawn grinned up at Jean. "Nice to meet you. We'd better go get our seats, Jack, before dinner starts."  
  
"Yes, we should." He smiled at Jean, able to be a little more sincere since he wasn't alone with her anymore. "I better go. If you see Sam, tell her I'm looking for her, will you, please?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Leaving her in the hallway, Jack went to join his cabin at their table, pulling out his schedule as he did so, since he knew they'd want to know what was coming up after dinner.  
  
He sat down in the chair that he was beginning to think of as 'his' and the boys saw that he had the schedule and predictably asked what they were doing next.  
  
"Looks like we have free time in the gym right after dinner, until 8, then we have campfire." Great.  
  
"Campfire? What's that?"  
  
"You sit around a fire and sing songs and tell stories."  
  
"The whole camp?"  
  
"Daniel could tell the stories."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"No, I think someone already has that job," Daniel said, looking up as he noticed the girls from France were coming into the dining room. As usual, they made a beeline right for the table next to China's, and half of them were looking directly at Daniel as they did so. Sam was with them, and she sat in the chair closest to Shawn and Jack, giving the boy a smile.  
  
"Hi, Shawn, how was the Nature Walk?"  
  
"It was great."  
  
"He found an arrowhead," Jack told her, smiling fondly at the boy. "Show Sam your arrowhead, Shawn."  
  
Sam smiled and admired the arrowhead that Shawn produced from his pocket.  
  
"Very impressive."  
  
"It's Ute."  
  
"I'll bet Daniel told you, didn't he?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
At the mention of his name, Daniel turned from studying his fork to Sam, and gave her a smile. "How'd you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess?"  
  
He laughed, and turned his attention to the boys sitting beside him, pointedly trying to ignore the looks of the girls sitting around France's table. Shawn grinned and put his arrowhead back in his pocket. He was coming to like Sam more and more the more he got to know her. Maybe girls weren't so bad after all. Or maybe it was just Air Force girls. Whatever it was, he thought he could eventually like her almost as much as he liked Jack. He gave the two of them a speculative look, an idea beginning to form in his young mind. 


	18. 18

Dinner was boisterous and noisy as all the campers in the dining room were trying to tell each other the highlights of their day. China's table was especially loud; since the boys were intent on telling Jack everything he'd missed on the Nature Walk. He listened intently to each boy, allowing each one to describe the walk in whatever way he wanted, and was properly enthusiastic about everything they'd seen. He noticed that Shawn seemed a little quiet during the meal, but when he asked, the boy just told him he was thinking about something and grinned.  
  
After the dinner dishes were stacked and the announcements were read, Jack sent the boys to the gym with Sam, Jean and Sally and the girls from France, and told Teal'c that the cabin would be empty if he wanted to shower and get cleaned up.  
  
"Just meet us at the fire pit," He told the Jaffa as he and Daniel sat and finished a last cup of coffee. They'd seen the fire pit on their tour of the camp before the kids had arrived, so Jack knew Teal'c would be able to find it. Teal'c nodded and left the dining room, and Jack took a final drink from his coffee cup and stood up.  
  
"We'd better get going. Your fans are probably waiting to see you run around with a basketball."  
  
Daniel shook his head in disbelief, "Can you believe the way they're looking at me?"  
  
"Better you than me." Jack told him, grinning.  
  
"I should have kissed Sam," Daniel said, more to himself than to Jack, although Jack heard him and laughed.  
  
"That did work out pretty well."  
  
"Yeah, it did. You're not half as dumb as you act, you know?"  
  
The two handed their cups to the dishwashers, and then walked down the stairs to the gym to see how much trouble their boys were causing Sam and her girls.  
  
The game was dodge ball. The entire camp was playing – except for Murray, who was showering – and the teams were about as fair as they could be. China was on the same team as France, Egypt and Switzerland, and they were facing off against Germany, Mexico, UK and Morocco. Two boy cabins and two girl cabins against two boy cabins and two girl cabins. It was utter pandemonium, and a whole lot of fun. Right up until an errant playground ball hit Jack right in the face and he dropped like a rock. The entire camp winced in sympathy as he picked himself up off the floor, surrounded by his boys, and went over to sit against the wall to watch the rest of the game.  
  
"Go avenge me, guys," Jack told China. The boys had intended to sit out as well, to keep him company – or to make sure he was okay, Jack wasn't sure – but he didn't want them to miss the fun.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yup. If you don't get in there, we're going to lose, and it'll be my fault for dragging you guys all out of the game. So get in there."  
  
So he'd sat and watched, but watching was almost as much fun as playing. When someone was knocked out of the game, they'd come over and stand by Jack while they waited for a teammate to catch a ball and bring them back in. He got a lot of sympathetic looks and winces, but he also had a lot of fun rooting for his boys.  
  
Gina came over and sat next to him when she was hit with a ball, and Jack smiled at her. She smiled back, and scooted a little closer. Had it been Jean, Jack would have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't, and he wasn't.  
  
"Are you having fun?" He asked her, ducking when a ball came close to hitting him.  
  
"Uh huh. Are you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Does your face hurt?"  
  
"A little. Not as much as it probably looks like it does, though."  
  
"It looks pretty bad."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Gina! You're in!" The little girl sprang to her feet and took off, waving a quick good-bye to O'Neill, who smiled.  
  
Gina was replaced only a moment later by Sam, who plopped down next to O'Neill and took a moment to study the bruises on his face.  
  
"You look awful."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Does it hurt?"  
  
"Only when I get hit with a ball. Thank God Teal'c hadn't thrown it."  
  
"True." Carter was quiet for a moment, watching the game. "Thanks for helping me with Gina today, Sir."  
  
"Oh, you're going to have to do a whole lot better than that, Sam," O'Neill said, smiling over at her. "You owe me big time for that one, and you know it."  
  
"Whatever you want," Sam said instantly. She agreed completely; she did owe him big time for the assist.  
  
"Sam! You're in!"  
  
She stood up and patted his shoulder, then scurried back into the game.  
  
Eventually, the allies lost their battle. Switzerland just hadn't been a match for the might of Germany, and China had such small players and was two short with Jack and Teal'c both out of the game that they were no match for the might of Morocco and UK. But it had been fun, and the boys were all laughing as they came to the sidelines to rejoin their fallen leader.  
  
"We didn't avenge you, Jack," Daniel told him, reaching down and taking O'Neill's hand to help him to his feet.  
  
"Ah, well, you gave it a good showing." Jack grinned at his boys, pleased that they were good sports about losing, and ruffled Simon's hair, since he was closest. "Maybe I'll be able to talk the cook out of some kind of goody to repay the hard effort."  
  
This was met with shouts of approval, and Daniel smiled. "You're planning on pumping them full of sugar before bedtime?"  
  
"Hmmm... I hadn't actually looked at it that way. But we do have Campfire first, so maybe they'll forget about it until tomorrow?"  
  
"Not likely."  
  
The two men grinned and headed out the door, following their kids and the rest of the camp down to the fire pit. 


	19. 19

Author's note: Before I can add in more "ship" Someone is going to have to tell me what that means.  
  
~*~  
  
Teal'c was already there when they arrived. The campfire pit was a large cleared area that had a fire pit in the middle of it, surrounded by huge logs that made benches in a complete circle around the fire. There were four rows of logs and plenty of places to chose from. The boys gathered around Teal'c, who smiled a welcome to them, and Jack and Daniel went over and joined them. As soon as O'Neill sat down, Shawn was right there beside him. Jack smiled at this, but was a little surprised when Shawn stood up a moment later.  
  
"Sam! Come sit with us!"  
  
Jack watched as Carter looked over at Shawn and smiled, then made her way through the milling throng of kids and counselors and came over to join them. Shawn moved over, making room for Sam to sit next to Jack, which made Jack give the boy a curious look. A look that was returned with a completely innocent one. The innocent look turned to a scowl as Gina came over and sat on Sam's lap, and a large portion of the girls from France came over and tussled for a moment for the prime seat on Daniel's left. (Simon was sitting on Daniel's right, and wasn't about to give up his spot to any girl.)  
  
With Shawn on one side, and Jack on the other, Sam wrapped her arms around Gina and waited for the activities at Camp Fire to begin. She'd never actually done such a thing with such a crowd of people, and wasn't exactly sure what they'd be doing.  
  
What they ended up doing was a lot of singing, a few stories, and then more singing. The kids did the majority of the singing. Teal'c wasn't sure if he approved of a custom of singing around an open fire pit, Daniel was too preoccupied trying to ignore all the looks the girls were sending him, and Jack was loaded down with a sleeping little girl whom he didn't want to wake if he could avoid it. Gina had fallen asleep early on, bored by songs that she didn't know, and tired from her crying jag earlier that afternoon. Sam had passed her over to Jack once her arms had grown tired of holding her, and Jack had cuddled her against his chest, smiling occasionally despite himself.  
  
When the last song was sang, and they were dismissed to their cabins to go to bed, Jack offered to carry Gina back to France for Sam, something that seemed to please Shawn immensely. The rest of the boys went screaming up the hill towards their cabin, and Jack followed at a more sedate pace, talking with Sam and Sally and discussing the next day's activities.  
  
He handed Gina over to Sally when they reached the door to France, and noticed that Jean was coming to the door as well, talking to one of the other girls. Jack smiled, and took Sam's hand, pulling her a little closer so he could bend down and steal a quick good night kiss. Nothing too sensual, of course; not with a cabin full of little girls watching. Just enough to make sure that Jean didn't forget he was taken.  
  
"Ooooooooo!"  
  
There were giggles from the girls, and Sally grinned and shooed Jack away from the cabin, telling him they'd never get the girls to sleep if he kept standing there giving them gossip fodder. Jack went willingly, smiling as he did so. He was truly beginning to enjoy the charade of having a relationship with Sam. It was proving to have been a far better idea than even he'd thought it was, at first. And the best part was that she was more than willing to go along with it, in order to keep the cook away. Life was good at camp!  
  
He was still smiling when he walked through the door, so preoccupied with that last kiss that he didn't notice the triumphant grin on Shawn's face that was almost a match for his own.  
  
"Did you get us a snack, Jack?" Andrew asked from his bed above Teal'c's.  
  
"Hmm?" Jack looked up and shook his head, no. "Sorry guys, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. But I'll make sure it's a good one, I promise."  
  
There could have been a lot of grumbling and complaining, Jack knew, but he had a good bunch of boys, and they didn't gripe at all. Instead they got ready for bed like he told them to, and then pestered Daniel until he pulled out his book and showed them a picture of yet another ancient hero, and put them to sleep with yet another round of stories.  
  
~**~~  
  
It was much later that night that Teal'c was awakened by a noise. It wasn't a loud noise, but the Jaffa came awake instantly, because it was out of place in the silence of the cabin. He sat up silently in his bed, looking around but not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Then he heard the noise again, and looked up. A single, almost silent sob came from the bunk above his own.  
  
Silently, he rolled out of his bunk and stood up, looking at Andrew with concern.  
  
"Are you injured, Andrew?" Teal'c whispered, putting a large hand out and touching the boy's shoulder.  
  
"No," the boy whispered shakily. "I'm okay. Sorry."  
  
"What is the matter?" Even in the almost pitch dark of the cabin, Teal'c's sharp eyes had spotted the sheen of smeared tears on the boy's cheeks when he'd sat up.  
  
"I was just thinking of that little lizard, and how much his mom would have missed him," Andrew whispered. "Then I started thinking of my mom and wondering if she misses me. I miss her."  
  
A homesick child wasn't something Teal'c had ever been trained to deal with, and he was brought up short as he tried to figure out how to soothe the child. He thought momentarily of waking Daniel or Jack, knowing that both of them were much better with children than he was, but he remembered that he'd sworn to the boy's mother that he would take care of him. That made this responsibility Teal'c's.  
  
Unsure of what he was going to do exactly, Teal'c reached out and took hold of the boy, pulling Andrew off his bunk, blankets and all, and held him gently, smiling as he sat back down on his bunk with his burden.  
  
"I am certain your mother misses you very much," he told the boy softly as Andrew snuggled against him. "I miss my son when he is not around."  
  
"You have a son?  
  
"Indeed. His name is Rayak."  
  
"Where is he?" Andrew was so intent on the story that he'd already forgotten that he was sad.  
  
"He lives with his mother."  
  
"Oh, you're divorced, huh? My aunt Judy is divorced, too. Do you ever see your son?"  
  
"Indeed I do. However it is not as often as I would like. He is a fine young man, though, and he grows to be a man I can be proud of."  
  
Teal'c went on, telling Andrew of his son, although he was careful not to let anything slip about where exactly the boy and his mother lived, or anything about the history of his people. His voice was a low rumble, and the bass that resonated through his chest and vibrated gently against where Andrew was resting his head, and the strong arms that held him so securely soon put the boy to sleep once more. 


	20. 20

Author's Note: Thank you very much for letting me know what ship meant! I'd heard the phrase before, but wasn't sure what it meant, and didn't think it mattered until people started asking for it. There'll definitely be some romance in the future, I promise  
  
~**~~*~~*~~~  
  
Morning found Andrew back in his bed with no recollection of how he got there. When he woke, Teal'c was already out of the cabin, having left Daniel and Jack with the kids while he went off to find a quiet place to meditate. Jack had woken up at the sound of the horn once more – again, he was the only one who actually did – and as much as he dearly wanted a cup of coffee, he wasn't going to leave Daniel alone with the responsibility of getting the kids to breakfast on time.  
  
"Jack, I have a watch," one of the boys called from across the room. "Can I be the person who makes sure we all get to breakfast on time?" Translated, that meant 'can I be the runner? I just borrowed Simon's watch from him for the morning so I could make sure everyone gets to breakfast on time, thus earning the job.'  
  
Jack smiled; problem solved.  
  
"You sure can, Devon. Everyone hear that? Devon's in charge of getting you to breakfast on time. That means if anyone doesn't listen to him and you show up late, I'm going to be forced to take you sailing with me."  
  
There were groans and laughter, and Jack knew none of the boys would be late. However, since Daniel was still lazing about in his bed as he tried to wake up, he could make sure the boys actually did what Devon told them.  
  
O'Neill finished dressing and walked over to Daniel's bunk.  
  
"You're in charge of Devon, Daniel. He's in charge of everyone else. Unless you want to come down early and have a cup of coffee with me?"  
  
"What? And take the risk of being seen any earlier than necessary by Sam's girls?" Daniel shook his head, looking at the assortment of leather friendship bracelets he had looped on the post of his bunk. "Thanks, Jack, I'll pass. Besides, Devon might need backup."  
  
"True enough." Jack gave the boy a smile to show he wasn't nervous about leaving him in command, ruffled Simon's hair and walked out of the cabin.  
  
"Jack! Wait for me, I'll come with you!"  
  
Shawn was still pulling on his shirt, and was stomping his feet into his sneakers as he ran out the door, and the colonel stopped and gave him a chance to catch up. The boy's dark hair was standing up in a few places, and Jack found himself smoothing it down with his hand.  
  
"You didn't comb your hair, boy-o." Jack observed as the hair went back to sticking up as soon as he moved his hand.  
  
"Neither did you."  
  
"Yeah... well..." Jack couldn't think of anything to say to that, since it was true, so he simply put a companionable hand on Shawn's shoulder and the two walked down to the cafeteria in silence.  
  
"Hey! Sam's here!"  
  
So she was. She was sitting at 'her' table when the two walked in the door, and Shawn ran up to her, leaving Jack to walk to the coffee pot and get his coffee alone.  
  
"Hi Sam!"  
  
"Good morning, Shawn," Carter said, smiling at the boy as he plopped in his chair near hers.  
  
"Look, Jack," Shawn called as Jack came over. "Doesn't Sam look nice?"  
  
He smiled, wondering what had gotten into the boy. "She's beautiful, Shawn." He sat down in the chair next to hers, and gave her a look that plainly asked if she knew what was going on. Carter blushed slightly at the compliment, which only made her prettier as far as Jack was concerned, and shrugged to let him know she didn't have a clue.  
  
"Good morning, Sam," Jack said.  
  
"Morning, Jack. How is your head?" It looked worse than it had the day before, now that the bruising was complete. Deep purple – among other colors – lined the area between Jack's eye and nose, and the area on his forehead that had been the most swollen was now an ugly bruise as well.  
  
"It's not as bad as it looks. Thanks."  
  
"Sleep well?"  
  
"Yes. You?"  
  
"Once we got them to sleep, yes."  
  
"Jack snores." Shawn told Sam. "I sleep right above him, I know."  
  
Sam laughed, and the three of them chatted while they watched the tables start filling with kids and counselors who were filtering in slowly. Jean came in with Gina and a handful of the girls in tow, and walked over to the table. The girls were obviously disappointed that Daniel wasn't with Jack and Shawn. They winced collectively when they saw Jack's face, and then asked where Daniel was.  
  
"He's up at the cabin, still." Jack said, ignoring the winces. They were getting old yesterday, but today he thought he'd scream if people kept doing that every time they looked at him.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You know, if you wait a little ways from the cabin, he'd probably like the company if you want to go wait for him and walk down here with him. He'd-" Jack didn't get any more out, as there was a mad dash to the door as the girls ran to go wait for Daniel.  
  
"That was cruel." Sam noted, grinning despite herself.  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
Jean laughed a she sat down, and Gina gave Jack a shy smile as she took the chair next to Carter's, unsure what everyone thought was so funny, but happy to see O'Neill smiling. Especially with his head looking all icky. 


	21. 21

It was probably fifteen minutes later that Daniel and the boys showed up. Along with an escort of girls that had grown from the original handful to all of the remaining girls in Sam's cabin, along with a few from others cabins as well.  
  
Jack snorted into his coffee when he saw the little parade, and started coughing, forcing Sam and Shawn to pound on his back until he could catch his breath.  
  
"Morning, Sam," Daniel said as he sat down on the far side of the table and was immediately surrounded by the boys, who seemed to realize finally that the girls were bothering Daniel.  
  
"Morning, Daniel. How did you sleep?"  
  
"Fine, thank you." Daniel was giving Jack a suspicious look, but the Colonel wouldn't meet his eyes, concentrating instead on studying his schedule, even though he knew the day's events by heart.  
  
"How about you?"  
  
"Great." Sam smiled, and reached out and took the schedule from O'Neill, turned it over so it wasn't upside down, then handed it back to him.  
  
"Thanks," Jack said, and Sam just patted his hand.  
  
"What do we do today, Jack?" Asked one of the boys.  
  
"We're doing Arts and Crafts this morning, and horseback riding this afternoon."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"I've never been on a horse before."  
  
"Me either!"  
  
"Horses smell funny."  
  
"So does deer poop, but you didn't mind bringing it home with you."  
  
"I thought it was a rock."  
  
"A smelly rock."  
  
They chatted loudly while the remaining campers arrived, then were silenced as announcements were read, and began chatting loudly again as Jack sent Devon up to be runner.  
  
Breakfast was almost over when Teal'c finally made an appearance. He came through the door and walked to China's table, nodding a greeting to those who wished him good morning as he passed.  
  
"I apologize for being late," He said as he sat down in the spot Andrew had saved him.  
  
"No problem, Murray. We saved you some breakfast." The boys loaded Teal'c's plate with enough food to feed him twice, and nibbled on their own seconds and thirds while they watched him eat.  
  
"Arts and Crafts this morning, Murray," Jack said, grinning at the amount of food the boys had given Teal'c. Better load up on them carbs." Teal'c didn't respond, mainly because he had no idea what Arts and Crafts was. It couldn't be any worse than sailing, though. Right?  
  
~~**~~  
  
"I do not find this particularly enjoyable, O'Neill," Teal'c complained only an hour later. The big Jaffa was seated at a picnic table in the gym, and he was a mess. There was glue all over his hands and forearms, his face and his neck. To make matters worse, little bits of feathers, beads, leather and shells had somehow managed to get stuck to this glue, and he looked like some crazy bushman.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Jack was in complete agreement with his friend. His hands weren't quite so messy, but he had been given a task that was far more complicated than anything he'd done at the SGC. Shawn had suggested that Jack make Sam a surprise. Something just for her. And then, once the boy had O'Neill's promise that he would, he'd taken off to the other end of the gym to work on something that he'd proclaimed was a secret. So Jack was left with the task of making something for Carter. Something nice. And he had no help doing it. Well, Teal'c had tried, but it was obvious he was having his own problems, so Jack had turned down the offer of assistance.  
  
"I do not see the point in this." Teal'c complained again, looking at his fingers, which he'd somehow managed to glue together.  
  
"It's fun, Murray!" Simon told him form the other end of the table. The boy was making a bracelet, similar to the many that Daniel was wearing. His little fingers were very dexterous, and he was having no trouble at all getting the supple leather to do what he wanted it to. "You an make something for someone else, or something for you. Like a new wallet."  
  
"I have no need of a new wallet," Teal'c said, but this time his voice was resigned, and he looked at his fingers once more.  
  
"I'll help you, Murray," Andrew promised as the boy finished up the wallet he was making for his father. He came over and looked at the piece of leather Teal'c had been given to sew together with another leather thong and shook his head. "You have to decide what kind of design you want on it. Like Daniel's."  
  
Daniel had been having a grand time. The Archeologist had been burning ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs into the leather all morning long. The boys had seen him make one picture and each had scrambled for a piece of leather for him to do something like that on theirs. By the end of the morning, all of them would have wallets with their names in Egyptian on them.  
  
"I do not know what design to have," Teal'c admitted. "Perhaps I should make a bracelet?"  
  
"You could." Andrew handed him three leather thongs, but there was so much glue on Teal'c's hands that the leather just kept sticking to him. "Don't worry, Murray," Andrew assured him, patting him on the back sympathetically. "We'll figure it out."  
  
Jack was only vaguely aware of Teal'c's problems. He was staring at the leather in front of him, a perplexed look on his bruised face. Finally, he decided to just braid her a bracelet. It'd been good enough for Daniel, after all. He took some leather, and strung a few white beads onto it, then started braiding it. Sam wasn't into the gaudy stuff, Jack knew, so if he wanted her to wear it, it was going to have to be a little subtle. And as he was making it, he found that he truly did want Sam to wear it. He added a few more beads as he continued braiding, and by the time he was cutting off the trim, he had to admit that it looked pretty good. If he did say so himself.  
  
"How's it going?" Shawn asked, coming up behind Jack as their time at Arts and Crafts was drawing to a close.  
  
Jack held up the bracelet and handed it over to the boy.  
  
"Wow, Jack, that's pretty neat."  
  
"Think so?"  
  
"Uh huh. Sam's going to love it."  
  
"Good. What did you make?"  
  
"I'll show you later, okay? It's kind of a surprise."  
  
Shawn looked over at Teal'c, who was holding up a bracelet as well. The braiding wasn't too terrible, and the colors of the leather didn't clash all that badly, but the Jaffa had more decorations glued to him than the leather did, and Shawn smiled.  
  
"Murray looks like he could use a bit more help, huh?" 


	22. 22

Author's note: Sorry this one took so long, I'm nursing a nasty paper cut. (See what I'm doing for you folks?)! Hehe, again, thanks for the reviews, it's fun to see what you like most about the story!  
  
~*~*~*~~*  
  
Daniel was the only one of the adults that was sad to see Arts and Crafts time end. Teal'c couldn't leave the room fast enough, and Jack had to admit he was pretty bored with braiding and gluing, and the smell of burning leather from Daniel's end of the table was beginning to make him a little nauseas. He had the boys help clean up, and then admired all their wallets and bracelets as they walked back up to China to get cleaned up for lunch.  
  
"Can I see the bracelet you made Sam?" Asked one of the boys, for the fourth time. Sam's bracelet had been the talk of the cabin. That and the Egyptian hieroglyphs Daniel had put on all their wallets. They were more excited about it than Jack was. He pulled the bracelet out of his pocket again and handed it over, smiling at the comments, and feeling a little impressed with himself by the quality of the craft he'd done.  
  
"That's so cool!"  
  
"She's going to like it, I bet!"  
  
"I'd like it, if it was for me, and I was a girl!"  
  
"It's not for a girl, it's for Sam!"  
  
"Sam's a girl!"  
  
"She is not. She's in the Air Force."  
  
"That doesn't make her not a girl. Sam's a girl, right Jack?"  
  
"She most definitely is," Jack agreed, glad his 2IC wasn't around to hear this particular conversation.  
  
"See? She's just special, is all."  
  
"It's a great bracelet, Jack," Shawn told his counselor, grinning from ear to ear. "When are you going to give it to her?"  
  
Jack shrugged. "I'm not sure. Lunch time, I suppose?"  
  
"That's a good idea."  
  
"When are you going to let me see what you made?"  
  
Shawn shrugged, looking pleased with himself. "Lunchtime?"  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
The boys handed Jack back his bracelet, then ran on ahead to help get Teal'c's fingers unglued from the door.  
  
"Well, that was a lot more fun than I expected it to be," Daniel told Jack as they walked the rest of the way alone.  
  
"You had your doubts?"  
  
"You didn't?"  
  
"Come on," Jack scoffed, "What could possibly have happened to us while we were doing Arts and Crafts?"  
  
"Oh, a million things, including kids choking on beads, eating glue, having glue spilled all over and sitting in it without realizing it, slipping on-"  
  
"Okay okay, so a few things could have gone wrong," Jack agreed, holding up his hand to stop Daniel's litany. "But they didn't. Because we're good counselors."  
  
"Uh huh." Daniel had to admit that he was feeling pretty confident about his abilities as a counselor, despite his earlier misgivings. None of the boys were even scratched, and they'd been in their care for almost two days. Jack was the only one who'd suffered injury, and that had been a fluke accident. And it looked like Teal'c might lose a little skin from the way the boys tugging on his arm to try and free him from the door.  
  
~~**  
  
About ten minutes before lunch, Jack, Teal'c and Daniel led their brood of youngsters into the cafeteria. It'd taken them a long time to get Teal'c cleaned of all the glue, feathers and other odds and ends that had become stuck to him, but the Jaffa was now ornament free, and feeling a little better about this whole camping experience. He even had a new wallet to show for his morning, after all. A wallet that was made even more special by the fact that Andrew had helped him with it. He was finding the time spent with human children a definite learning experience. And was rather enjoying them.  
  
"Sam isn't here, yet," Shawn noted when they walked through the door. There was a bit of disappointment in his voice, and Jack felt an echo of that disappointment as well, which surprised him.  
  
"She'll be here." Jack assured him, walking over and sitting down with the rest of the cabin. Much to Daniel's relief, none of the girls from France were there yet, either, so he didn't have to suffer a multitude of stares. Not yet anyways.  
  
The boys were playing rock paper scissors to decide who was going to be Runner when Carter and her cabin finally came through the door, shouting and giggling.  
  
"Hi, guys," Sam greeted them, smiling and looking far better after he morning of sailing than Jack had.  
  
"Hi Sam!"  
  
"Hey Sam."  
  
All the boys stopped what they were doing and looked pointedly at Jack, who tried to ignore them. And did, right up until Shawn elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"Jack made you a present, Sam."  
  
Shawn couldn't have looked more impressed if he'd made it himself.  
  
"You did?" Sam looked at O'Neill curiously, and Jack squirmed.  
  
"Yeah. You know, Arts and Crafts and all. Who else would I make something for?"  
  
Looking decidedly uncomfortable at all the eyes on him, Jack pulled the bracelet out from his pocket and handed it over to Carter, who smiled, touched, despite herself. It was made of black leather, braided with the occasional tiny white bead in a pattern that looked chaotic until you looked at it closely and saw that they swirled together in a pattern if she moved her hand.  
  
"Wow. You made this?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"For me?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Thanks, Jack." Sam was aware of all the eyes on her, including her girls who'd come in with her, but she couldn't help feel a little misty-eyed. "It's beautiful."  
  
"So are you, Sam." There was utter devotion in O'Neill's voice and expression, and Carter felt her stomach flip-flop.  
  
Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wondered how much of what was being said was for the benefit of the show that Jack and Sam were putting on and how much was actual emotion that had finally been allowed to show. Either way, it was far more than he'd ever expected from Jack. Especially from Jack.  
  
"Put it on, Sam," One of the girls whispered.  
  
"Help her, Jack," One of the boys whispered.  
  
Jack took the bracelet back from Carter, who held out her hand, and watched as her CO carefully tied the leather bracelet onto her wrist. Then she flushed when Jack leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. An action that sent the kids in the area into pandemonium.  
  
"I'm glad you like it," Jack murmured over the bedlam that ensued, squeezing Sam's hand gently before he leaned back into his chair, leaving Daniel and Teal'c to get the China boys under control.  
  
Once things were a little quieter, and Sam had regained her composure, Jack turned to Shawn, who hadn't stopped grinning.  
  
"So? Do I get to see what you made yourself this morning?"  
  
"I didn't make myself anything, Jack," Shawn said.  
  
"Sure you did."  
  
"Nah, I made you something." The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out his own craft project. One that floored Jack just as much as his bracelet had floored Sam.  
  
The leather was black. Three very thin thongs that had been intricately braided into one long one. Far longer than a bracelet, it was a necklace, and hanging from the very center, surrounded by three small white beads on either side, polished and shining, was the arrowhead that Shawn had found on his Nature Walk.  
  
"Shawn, that's yours..." jack started to say, stunned by the gift.  
  
"I know. Which means I can give it away if I want to. And I want to, Jack." The boy stood up and tied the ends of the necklace around Jack's neck, then grinned when he saw how well it fit. He'd only guessed at how long it should be.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
Jack couldn't say anything. His own voice was completely gone; clamped down under a lump in his throat the size of a watermelon. He merely pulled the boy into a hard bear hug, one that Shawn returned just as hard.  
  
"Just look at it as a thank you gift if you end up saving me from a wild bear, okay?" 


	23. 23

Author's Note: I tried to post these earlier, but the site wasn't working for me. Sorry!  
  
~~*~~***  
  
Lunch went by in a blur for Jack. He found himself looking at the arrowhead that was resting against his chest about every three minutes, grinning foolishly. Had he been paying more attention, he would have noticed Sam was having the same reaction, and kept stealing glances at the bracelet on her wrist. Shawn noticed, of course, since it had been his idea, as did the male and female counselors in the general area. All of whom kept glancing at the two speculatively. It was a source of much entertainment at the two tables. And one that kept Daniel's mind off the girls who were constantly watching him and whispering to each other.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Hmm?" He looked up from his necklace once more, and saw that the kids had been excused for their afternoon activities. "Oh! Yes, we'd better get going." Standing up, he reached out and ruffled Shawn's hair, then led his yelling, screaming tribe over towards the horse corral for an afternoon of riding.  
  
First, they were separated. Some of the kids had actually been on a horse, which was an improvement over the majority that hadn't. The two men that served as the Horse Wranglers at the camp – brothers named Tom and Jacob - were more than capable, though, and were experienced at giving lessons to novices. The boys were each assigned a horse. All the animals were gentle creatures that were very used to the screeching and yelling of young people, and weren't easily spooked, which was exactly the kind of horse Daniel asked for when the Wranglers asked him how much experience he'd had on horseback.  
  
Jack had been on rides before. Quite a few times, actually, which made him the expert of his little group, and the horse he was given was a bit more temperamental, but nothing that couldn't be handled. Teal'c, who'd never been this close to a horse before, much less on one, was given a very large brown gelding named BO, who looked like he might fall asleep at any moment. Which was fine with the Jaffa. He was finding himself once again in a situation that he wasn't going to have total control over. Something he didn't like.  
  
The horses were saddled and the boys were shown how to make them turn the direction they wanted to go by pulling on the reins and using pressure with the knees. Jack leaned against his horse, Thunderball, while he watched the lesson, and looked down once more at the arrowhead necklace. What a surprise. It was something his own boy would have done, and Jack found himself looking over at Shawn, who was just being boosted up into his saddle. O'Neill had to admit, he was really enjoying the whole camping thing, and he didn't know how he was going to let go of these kids when they were done.  
  
"Jack? You ready?"  
  
Shawn was looking down at him from the back of his gray horse, grinning with excitement as the wranglers told the rest of the campers to mount up. The last to get up were the ones who'd ridden before, which included Simon and Devon. These three would be the ones that needed the least watching, so the wranglers were putting them at the front of the line, leaving the middle and back for the ones that needed to be monitored more closely.  
  
"Yup!" Jack mounted Thunderball and nudged his horse out into the front of the line. He'd be the lead horse, and had been told to just follow the trail, since it made a circuit of the camp and would lead them right back to where they started. Thunderball was more than ready to go, but from the look on Daniel's face, he wasn't quite so excited. Nor was Teal'c.  
  
"Come on, guys," Jack said, encouragingly as he rode past them. "It'll be great. You'll see. What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
'What indeed?" Teal'c said, completely unconvinced. He'd seen too many things go wrong to fall for that line again.  
  
Daniel shrugged, and patted his horse, nervously, then flipped the reins a little as he'd been showed, to get the horse to move forward. The horse obviously was making a decision whether to obey or not, able to tell that the rider on her back wasn't all that steady, but in the end, she moved forward as she'd been told, following the rest of the herd.  
  
They moved out slowly, giving the boys plenty of time to get used to the feel of the horse under them, and for the Wranglers to help with the seats of the novices.  
  
"Murray, you have to keep your heels down," Tom called to Teal'c, who scowled and did as he was told. "Good!"  
  
Daniel was having his own problems. His horse had decided she'd stop and graze on the branches of every tree along the trail, and he was constantly clucking at her and flipping the reins as the Wranglers were telling him to, trying to get her to pay attention. She just wasn't in the mood to obey him.  
  
On the other hand, Jack was having a great time. Simon had moved his horse up next to Thunderball, and the two were discussing the comic books that Jack had read the day before. Jack having sought him out earlier that morning to see if he'd brought any more. He hadn't, but the boy knew all of the old ones by heart, and was more than willing to share that knowledge with Jack. He told him all the old stories as they rode, and Jack was listening with rapt attention, asking questions as they went along about various superpowers.  
  
About an hour into the ride, the Wranglers decided the boys were ready to go a little faster, and Tom rode through the pack and up to Jack and Simon.  
  
"We're ready to gallop them a little, Jack. You guys doing okay?"  
  
"We're great," Simon assured him, looking over at O'Neill, who nodded.  
  
"Okay, good. The horses are all old hands at this, so really all your boys have to do is hold on. They'll be fine. When you hear me whistle, that's when I want you to stop your horses from running, which will stop the others, too, okay?"  
  
"You got it."  
  
Tom stopped his horse and allowed the others to ride past him.  
  
"Heels down, Murray," Tom reminded Teal'c as the Jaffa and his sleepy horse went past. Teal'c scowled again, and lowered his heels once more, wishing this ride would end.  
  
"Good. Everyone ready to gallop?" Jacob asked from the very back of the line where he could see any potential trouble and hopefully get to it before it became a problem.  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Let 'em go, Jack!" Tom called, and O'Neill put his heels into Thunderball's sides, encouraging the horse to go faster. Which he did, happily. The horse went from sedate walk to a gallop immediately, almost unseating Jack, who'd been expecting the motion and just hadn't expected quite a jump. He regained his balance easily, though, and leaned forward to encourage a little more speed out of the horse, who was more than willing to comply.  
  
Simon whooped and he and his horse took off like a shot after Jack and Thunderball, and the rest of the line broke into a smooth gallop behind them.  
  
Elbows flapping, and bouncing painfully in the saddle, Teal'c and Daniel were both finding the ride to be even worse at a fast speed than it was a slow one. Teal'c's horse had a lumbering gallop that was more of a trot, and the up and down motion was putting a strain on thigh and butt muscles that the Jaffa found most unpleasant. Daniel's little mare had a habit of skipping a beat, which made it impossible for him to get into the rhythm of her gallop, which made what should have been the smoothest gait easily as uncomfortable as the one Teal'c was dealing with.  
  
None of the boys were having any trouble, though. They were whooping happily, grabbing the saddle horns at first, but relaxing a bit as they became more used to the speed of the ground flying past them. They were cowboys!  
  
After about a mile or so, Jack heard the expected whistle, and pulled his horse up gradually, grinning at Simon as the boy slowed his horse as well.  
  
"That was awesome!" Simon declared, looking back just in time to see Daniel's little mare come shouldering past him and Jack.  
  
She wasn't ready to stop just yet, and even though Daniel was pulling on the reins as hard as he could, the mare had only slowed to a trot.  
  
"Daniel! Jerk her head down!" Jack called, knowing that a horse with its head down would be more inclined to stop, since it couldn't se where it was going. "Pull the reins down and in!"  
  
Desperate for any advice, Daniel did what Jack said, pulling down hard, and jerking the little mare's head down. He pulled harder with his right hand than he did with his left, though, and she veered off the trail and into the trees, where they heard a crash, a curse, and then a thud as Daniel fell out of his saddle.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
Jack pulled Thunderball to a complete stop and jumped off, handing Simon his reins. "Stay put!" He called to the boy as he ran into the woods, Tom close behind and Jacob riding to the front of the line to keep any of the other horses from getting ahead of him. 


	24. 24

"Daniel?"  
  
The mare was standing about twenty feet into the woods, but Daniel wasn't on her, or near her, and Jack looked around frantically for him. A groan from the ground at his feet warned him he was close to stepping on him, and Jack lunged forward, kneeling down next to Daniel who sat up gingerly holding his right arm.  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
"Don't panic, Jack," Daniel said, leaning against a tree and trying to catch his breath. "I'm not dead."  
  
Teal'c came crashing into the undergrowth just then, calling his name, and stopped when he saw that Daniel had been found.  
  
"DanielJackson? Are you injured?"  
  
"Yeah, I landed on my arm, and I think I heard something pop."  
  
"We'd better get you to the nurse," Tom said, reaching down and taking hold of Daniel's belt on one side, while Jack did the same on the other. That way when they pulled him to his feet they wouldn't be putting any pressure on his arms.  
  
"Nothing wrong with your legs?" Jack asked as they carefully pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Nah, I don't think so." Daniel carefully put his weight on first one foot, then the other, and found both were all right. "No, just my arm, I think."  
  
"You have a cut on your cheek, too," Jack told him as they turned Daniel around towards the trail. "Teal'c, get Daniel's horse."  
  
In his concern for his friend, Jack forgot all about calling Teal'c Murray, but luckily Tom didn't notice the difference in his own concern for the archeologist.  
  
Teal'c scowled and walked over to the mare, which was happily munching on some weeds. He reached out and took her reins, glaring at her when she tried to bolt.  
  
"If we were on Chulak, I'd be eating you," he murmured to the animal, turning and pulling her along as he followed Daniel and Jack and the Wrangler.  
  
The boys were still on their horses, but all of them were tense, watching the wooded area where Daniel had last been seen. They gave a concentrated sigh of relief when they saw Jack and Tom coming out of the woods with Daniel between them.  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"What's wrong with your arm?"  
  
"Is it broken?"  
  
"Where's your horse? Did you fall off?"  
  
"He's okay, guys," Jack said, smiling up at them reassuringly. "He just hurt his arm, we think." He looked at Tom. "The question is, how do we get him back to camp?"  
  
"We're not that far from the road, Jack," Jacob said, dismounting and walking over to look at the cut on Daniel's cheek. "It's just through that wooded area there. We'll radio the nurse, tell her what happened and she can come out in a car and get him, and take him to the clinic in town to get it x-rayed."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
Jack turned as Teal'c came out of the woods, leading the unrepentant looking mare and told him what they planned on doing.  
  
"Do you wish for me to accompany him?"  
  
"Nah," Jack said, looking over at the boys and thinking that it would be better for them if they didn't lose two counselors in one accident. "The nurse seems to be pretty competent. If she needs you, you can go; otherwise, we'd better stick with the boys. Lots of trail left this afternoon, you know?"  
  
"Indeed." Teal'c didn't bother to hide his disappointment.  
  
"What about her?" He asked, gesturing towards the mare.  
  
"We'll just lead her along behind Jacob's horse," Tom said, taking the reins from Teal'c. His brother was already on the radio to the nurse.  
  
~*~**~~  
  
"Is Daniel going to be all right, Jack?"  
  
Jack smiled at the boys, and nodded. "You guys heard the nurse. She said he'd be fine."  
  
They'd just watched Daniel be loaded into the Camp's station wagon and were now remounting their horses to finish their ride, and Jack was determined they'd enjoy what was left, and not worry about Daniel.  
  
"Don't worry, Daniel's a lot tougher than he looks. He'll probably be back at camp before we are."  
  
"Lucky him," Teal'c muttered under his breath as he made his way back to his large sleeping horse. 


	25. 25

As it turned out, Daniel was, indeed, back at the camp before the boys had finished their ride. Sporting a brand new cast on his right wrist, he was dropped off at the main building by the nurse, who reminded him to come and see her if he was having any pains. At the moment he wasn't feeling anything, having been given a healthy painkiller right before the doctor in town had set his broken wrist.  
  
He looked around for Jack, but saw that the horses were still gone, so he assumed the boys were still gone. Not wanting to take the chance of Sam's girls finding him sitting alone in the cafeteria, Daniel opted to go back to China and take a nap while he waited for the boys to get back.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
Daniel opened his eyes, surprised to see Jack kneeling down beside his bunk. He was even more surprised to see the rest of the boys all gathered around as well, worry etched on their little faces, but looking as though they'd had the times of their lives on their ride.  
  
"Hey. When did you guys get back?"  
  
"About half an hour ago. We just thought we'd let you sleep until dinner."  
  
"Oh." He looked at his watch, amazed that so much time had passed. It only felt like he'd just lain down.  
  
"Wrist is broken, huh?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Clean break, though. Nothing to worry about." There was also a cut on Daniel's cheek, but it wasn't deep enough to warrant stitches, so the doctor had just put a couple butterfly bandages on it.  
  
"You hungry? Going to come to dinner with us?"  
  
"Starved." He sat up and the boys gathered around him, each of them wanting to be close to him to make sure that he was really okay. Daniel smiled, touched, and let them reassure themselves for a few minutes before he stood up and headed out the door with them and Jack.  
  
"Where's Murray?" Daniel asked, looking around for Teal'c.  
  
"He's pretty sore," Jack said, grinning. "You know, from riding. He's off with an ice pack to do some meditating."  
  
Daniel knew he was going to be sore, also, and he didn't have the benefit of a symbiote to make the pain go away faster. Of course, he did have pain medication for his wrist, and that would work almost as well.  
  
"Daniel!" He groaned inwardly as a group of Sam's girls came rushing up to him. They did the familiar glance at Jack's face and winced, then one of them noticed the cut on Daniel's cheek and then the cast on his arm.  
  
"What happened, Daniel?" She asked.  
  
"He fell off his horse," Simon answered, coming to stand in front of Daniel protectively, keeping the girls from getting too close. The rest of the boys did the same thing and Jack hid a smile.  
  
"Wow. When did that happen?"  
  
"Duh. Today. Did you see a cast on him yesterday?"  
  
Such wonderful little boys, unfailingly polite and well-mannered. Right up until they were around girls.  
  
"Which horse were you riding?"  
  
Daniel didn't have a clue. He hadn't even cared.  
  
"He was on Smokey."  
  
"We're going to go to dinner now."  
  
"We'll come with you."  
  
The boys scowled, en mass, but they had no choice but to let the girls walk with them as they headed down the kill and into the main building. It was quite the little parade, Jack thought to himself as he walked next to Shawn, his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
  
They caused quite a stir when they came into the cafeteria. The girls were still ooohing and ahhing over Daniel's fall and the boys were practically glowering. They didn't like all the attention the girls gave Daniel anyways. Anyone with a brain could see they were annoying him.  
  
Daniel went to his seat as far away from France's table as he could get and still be sitting with his boys, and Jack and Shawn took their familiar seats as well, both of them looking around for Sam.  
  
"Wow, Daniel," Sally said when she came into the room and sat down at France's table. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Fell off my horse."  
  
"Smokey."  
  
"Ouch. Broken wrist?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Can I sign your cast later?"  
  
"Sure." Daniel held up his hand, because he knew the boys were all going to start clamoring to sign his cast, too. "You can sign it as soon as the boys have all had their chance." He told Sally.  
  
The boys grinned triumphantly at the girls, who had already started looking for pens.  
  
"We'll do it after dinner, Daniel."  
  
"Sounds fine, Simon."  
  
Just then Sam and Gina walked up to the table, both of them slightly out of breath as if they'd been running. Jack smiled at Sam. Gina smiled at Jack, who then smiled at Gina. Shawn grinned and waved at Sam, who smiled at Jack and then waved at Shawn. Then both of them looked at Daniel and winced at the cut on his face.  
  
"Wow, Daniel. What happened to you?"  
  
Daniel sighed, beginning to understand just how annoying that question could get, and understanding for the first time why Jack had said that morning if anyone else winced at him he was going to scream. 


	26. 26

Author's note: This chapter is probably not all that funny, but it's necessary, so you have to read it, or you're going to miss out when we get to the next one. So there!  
  
~~~*~**~~  
  
Dinner was, as it had been the day before, the noisiest meal of the day. The talk of the tables that evening was the rotten luck of the counselors from China. Jack had taken a boom to the face and looked awful, Daniel had fallen off his horse and broken his arm, and everyone was speculating about Murray's absence. It seemed as if the men in China must be cursed.  
  
The girls from France were discussing it, too. Mainly because Daniel looked so miserable as he tried to cut his food one-handed. Simon had offered to help him, but the boy wasn't all that coordinated with a knife and had cut his own hand, prompting a quick visit from the nurse to make sure it wasn't serious. Sally had stepped up, and without comment had walked over to Daniel's side and had cut his food for him. By then, Daniel was so thankful for the help that he didn't even mind the looks of the girls as they watched. Being one-armed, even temporarily, stunk.  
  
After dinner was over, it was announced that tonight the entire camp was going to be playing Capture the Flag. The cabins were divided up, but this time France and China were going to be on different teams, which made Shawn scowl, since he didn't really want to go up against Sam. He didn't care about the other girls, but he didn't want Sam to lose. Almost as much as he didn't want to lose, himself. They were dismissed to their cabins, and told to wear dark clothes and to bring flashlights of they wanted to.  
  
Teal'c had arrived during announcements, and once the boys explained what capture the flag was and how to play it, he found that he couldn't see anything wrong with the game. After all, it was basically what he did every day; only now sloppiness wouldn't get him killed. The boys from China were really excited about the game, especially when Jack went to his truck and pulled a couple tubes of face paint from the glove box and brought it up to the cabin. They were really going to look like Air Force Seals! They lined up in front of Teal'c and Jack and waited for their turn to be turned into camouflaged mean lean fighting machines.  
  
Jack was just finishing up Shawn's face when the horn sounded, telling them it was time for the two teams to meet and get ready. They met up with the boys from Germany, and the girls from Morocco and Switzerland. They would be the blue team, Gary told them, handing them their flag and standard. They were told to elect a leader, and then go hide their flag somewhere on their side of the campground, which had been divided equally in half for the game.  
  
Teal'c was elected Blue Team Captain. The big Jaffa was in his element, now, and as night truly fell, he placed all his team in their rightful spots. Some would be scouts, who'd be crossing 'enemy' lines to try and find the other team's flag. Others would be guards, who were solely responsible for guarding their own flag, and since China was wearing the camouflage faces, the three guards were three of their boys. Still others would be in charge of the 'prison' where captured enemy soldiers would be brought until they could be sprung by their teammates. Jack was given a position as a scout, and he set out with a couple of girls from Switzerland and three of the boys from Germany, and Simon.  
  
It was so dark that even if the kids had known the hand signs he wouldn't have been able to use them, so he simply gave them verbal orders to look everywhere they could and capture as many of the enemy as they could. Then, reminding them that he didn't want anyone lost in the forest, he told them to stay close to the clearings and that if they became disorientated to just flash their flashlights until someone came and got them.  
  
Once both teams had their people in position, the horn sounded and the game began.  
  
Sam was devastating for the Red Team. She was stealthy and had great night vision, and she had managed to single-handedly capture four of Jack's scouts in only minutes. Jack was equally effective for the Blue Team. Sam's scouts were finding themselves captured by shadows. Teal'c had the advantage in this; he knew how effective both Carter and O'Neill were, and to counter Carter, he sent Jack out on his own with orders to find Carter and capture her, thus clearing the way for the remaining Blue scouts to find the Red flag.  
  
Throwing Teal'c a salute, Jack accepted his orders, and went out on his own. He knew Sam. Knew how she'd operate. Knew what kind of cover she liked best. He avoided the other Red scouts, letting them go past him in the dark as he watched and waited for the only one he really had to be worried about catching him. Patiently, knowing that she was just as stealthy as he was, Jack finally hid behind a large rock and waited, knowing that where her scouts were going, she was going to go, too.  
  
He heard some yelling off to the distant side, but couldn't make it out, and he didn't go investigate. Becoming even more still, he watched, wishing that the moon was a little brighter so he could have some light. Finally, though, his patience paid off, and Jack saw the faint gleam of moonlight off a blonde head. He tensed, but remained still, and watched as Carter approached, looking around carefully. Not carefully enough, though. The moment she stepped past his rock, Jack stepped out from behind it, and stood behind her, putting his finger in the small of her back, almost like a gun barrel.  
  
"Gotcha." 


	27. 27

Had it been another world, or a Jaffa or worse, Carter would have been a bit more forceful in her attempt at escape. Life and death will do that to you, sometimes. As it was, though, it was camp, and a kid's game, and it was O'Neill's cocky voice that came out of the dark of the night. And probably, she thought, that was his finger digging into the small of her back. However, even though it wasn't life or death, and it was O'Neill, she still wasn't going to go down too easily. No need to fuel his ego any more than it already was.  
  
Sam ducked and rolled to the right, out of his reach, and leaped to her feet to start running. If she could get back over the Red Team's lines then she could turn on him and capture him as the scout instead of the other way around. The problem with that strategy was that O'Neill knew the same things she did, and he was expecting her to bolt. She hadn't run more than a few yards when she felt his strong arms around her waist, and he used his momentum and weight to drag her down to the ground. He was being careful, though, and Sam realized it instantly. She was pulled down on top of him as her CO made sure to cushion her fall with his own body, although she did hear him grunt when her elbow dug into his solar plexus as they landed.  
  
Sam lay still, conceding the capture and giving him a chance to get the breath back that had been knocked out of him.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah." His arms were still wrapped around her, though, as though he expected her to try and run again. "Just got me in the gut."  
  
"Sorry about that." She wriggled a little, moving off him to lie next to him, rather enjoying the way he was holding her. "Did I make it over the line?"  
  
"Not even close. But it was a good try." Jack grinned and turned towards her, barely able to make out her face in the scant light from the stars and the distant camp buildings. "You're caught."  
  
Carter nodded, and felt him relax his grip a little, although he still didn't let her go.  
  
"You know, Hammond would have a conniption if he saw us like this."  
  
"Think so?" She smiled, because she knew so.  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
Jack looked down at her, his eyes suddenly very intent, and Sam smiled, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't make her wonder long.  
  
"You've been really good about helping me keep Jean away, Sam. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate that. And you."  
  
"It's mutual, I assure you," Carter told him, smiling. "The cook is a very nice guy, I'm sure, but I don't think he's interested in my brain."  
  
"I am." Jack leaned down and kissed Sam's cheek very gently, almost as if he was afraid she'd pull away. When she didn't, he kissed her again, in the same place, and then held her close for a long moment, his cheek against hers.  
  
Carter didn't mind a bit. Her arms came around him, and she held him. Something she'd wanted to do for so long. There were a lot of things she wanted to do and couldn't. So she did what they could, and she held him, knowing that he felt the same way.  
  
"Oh, yeah, Hammond wouldn't like this a bit," she murmured softly into the darkness.  
  
"Do you like it?" He asked her just as quietly.  
  
"Mmm-hmmm..."  
  
She could feel his silent chuckle, but she knew he wasn't laughing at her, just at their situation. Sometimes she couldn't help but laugh, too. Other times it was so frustrating she wanted to cry.  
  
"You know the best thing about camp, Sam?" Jack asked as pulled his cheek away from hers and looked down at her once more.  
  
"What's that, Jack?"  
  
"Hammond isn't here."  
  
He kissed her again, but this time he claimed her lips with his, and Sam didn't have a chance to reply for a long moment as she felt herself swept up in the desire he was bringing out in her.  
  
"This isn't a good spot, Jack," Sam whispered raggedly a moment later. She held him tightly to make sure he didn't misunderstand her. She wanted to continue their present conversation, but... "Some kid could trip over us any minute."  
  
Jack groaned, but had to admit she was absolutely correct. It was a bit out of the way, but there was a chance that they'd be found where they were. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, looking around. Silently, he took her hand, and the two of them snuck off, deeper into the woods and well out of range of where the kids were allowed to go. Here they wouldn't be interrupted, Sam knew. She smiled when he kissed her again, even though he couldn't see it, and as they sank back down onto the soft grass, she couldn't help but giggle.  
  
"That's not my brain, Jack."  
  
"I know."  
  
The game progressed into the night. No one seemed to realize that the capture ratio for the Red Team and the Blue Team had dropped noticeably, and no one would have cared anyways. The kids were having too much fun running in the night, chasing each other and yelling to notice that the best scout on each team had vanished.  
  
When the camp horn sounded, telling all the campers that a flag had been caught and the game was over, no one even noticed when Jack and Sam came walking out of the dark, hand in hand. Until they walked by Daniel and Sally, who'd been talking as Daniel guarded the prisoners the Blue Team had captured. Sally saw them, and started chuckling. Daniel looked to see what was so funny, but wasn't sure what it was. Jack and Sam were holding hands, which was unusual maybe – except that Jean had been seen in the area only a few moments before, so it was most likely part of the ruse.  
  
"What's so funny?" He finally asked Sally.  
  
"Sam's face is smeared with that face makeup."  
  
"So?" Daniel was used to seeing her like that. They used it constantly.  
  
Sally reached out and ran a finger through the paint on Daniel's face, then scored a line of it along her cheek. "Daniel. None of the cabins but China started the game with their faces painted."  
  
"Oh." He still didn't understand, but as he looked at the line Sally had drawn on her own cheek, he suddenly did. "OH!"  
  
Looking back at Jack and Sam, Daniel couldn't help but smile, and he gave Sally a hug, thanking her for figuring out what he hadn't. She didn't know what the hug was for, or why he seemed suddenly so pleased, but Sally grinned and hugged him back anyways. Why not? 


	28. 28

"Jack! Sam!"  
  
The two stopped and turned, just in time to see Shawn rushing up to them.  
  
"I captured the flag! Did you see it?"  
  
"That was you?" Jack asked, grinning, and letting go of Carter's hand so he could catch the boy up into a bear hug. "Good job!"  
  
"Thanks!" He let go of Jack and ran on, chasing the rest of the boys from his cabin as they rushed to get ready for bed. Of course, none of them would sleep any time soon with as much adrenaline as they had pumping through their little bodies, but at least they'd be in the cabin when it wore off.  
  
Jack smiled over at Carter, and reached out and took her hand again. She echoed his smile, and they walked to her cabin in companionable silence.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning," Jack told her, kissing her cheek and realizing for the first time that he'd managed to smear her up pretty well with his face paint. He grinned, unrepentant, and waved at all the girls that were watching through the windows of the cabin. With his face smeared with paint, they hadn't even noticed the bruises, so he'd managed to avoid the collective wince.  
  
"Good night, Jack," Carter said, smiling as well. "Sweet dreams."  
  
"Oh, they will be." He turned and headed back for his cabin, smiling at Sally as the woman walked past. She giggled, but didn't say anything, and Jack shook his head, wondering what had gotten in to her.  
  
~*~  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"We won!"  
  
"Shawn got the flag!"  
  
"That was so cool!"  
  
"The best game ever!"  
  
"The best night ever!"  
  
Jack had to agree with that, even though he had a different reason to be pleased with the night's outcome than the boys did. He handed out high- fives to all the boys as Teal'c came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and wearing another bandana over his head.  
  
"Go get your faces and hands cleaned, and brush your teeth," Jack told them. "We'll have a Rummy tournament before bed, but I want you all in your PJ's before we start."  
  
There was the usual mad dash to the bathroom they rushed to comply. Eager for the card game, but still yelling to each other about their various roles in the Capture the Flag game. Jack slapped Teal'c on the shoulder as the Jaffa sat on his bunk, and looked over at Daniel, who was grinning ear to ear.  
  
"Rummy, Daniel?"  
  
"Sure, Jack."  
  
"Teal'c?"  
  
"Indeed, O'Neill."  
  
"Good. I'll go raid the kitchen and get us something to snack on. There should be leftover cookies from lunch."  
  
By the time he got back with a plateful of cookies, the boys were all seated in a circle on the floor, each holding cards, and well into the first hand of the Rummy tournament. Jack declined an invitation to play, since he still needed to shower, but his cookies were a welcomed addition.  
  
The game was progressing fairly well by the time he came out of the shower, although a couple of the boys had decided to call it a night and were lounging in their bunks. Jack went over and sat on the floor next to and slightly behind Teal'c, who was obviously losing, and could still use a little help with trying to decide what to discard.  
  
"The winner gets to be the first to sign Daniel's cast," Shawn told him as he joined the group.  
  
"That's a good prize," Jack agreed, looking at Daniel, who would start smiling every time Jack looked at him. It was almost unnerving. Jack gave him a quizzical look, but the archeologist just shrugged and went back to his cards.  
  
In the end, it was extremely late when Devon signed his name carefully on Daniel's cast, taking up the prize position right across the back of the hand. A few of the boys had fallen asleep in their bunks, and a few more had dozed off on the floor where they'd been watching. Jack and Teal'c gently put them to bed, tucking them in and whispering good night, then had sent the rest of the boys to their bunks as well.  
  
"What about Daniel's cast?" Andrew whispered as Teal'c tucked his blankets around him.  
  
"You may sign it in the morning." The Jaffa ran his fingers through Andrew's hair, ruffling it as he'd seen Jack do to the boys many times. "If you need me in the night, Andrew, wake me. I would not have you suffering alone."  
  
Andrew smiled, a brilliant smile that brightened the dim room. "I will, Murray. Good night." 


	29. 29

Pt 29  
  
The next morning dawned cold and gray. The cabin was chilled and when O'Neill woke up –before the horn sounded – he found most of the boys were tunneled into their blankets snugly. Andrew had once again ended up in Teal'c's bunk, and the little boy was nestled in the Jaffa's arms protectively. Jack didn't need to ask why. Although he did wish he had the guts to take a picture. No one back at the SGC would ever believe him if he told them. Of course, Teal'c would probably rip his arms out of their sockets if he said a word. Oh well.  
  
Jack got up and dressed, putting on a sweatshirt against the morning chill, then woke Teal'c silently so the Jaffa could go meditate if he wanted to get it done before the boys woke. Teal'c handed Andrew over to Jack, who put him quietly in his own bunk, which was still warmed by his body heat, then Jack headed down to find a pot of coffee.  
  
The sky was threatening rain while O'Neill walked down the hill, and it began to drizzle just as he was heading through the door. He and his boys had a free morning this morning, but he sure wasn't going to spend it swimming, and he definitely felt bad for the people that would be sailing.  
  
"Good morning!" It was Jared. The cook had just started a pot of coffee, and was standing by the small table that held the machine, as though impatient for it to be finished. Something Jack could understand completely.  
  
"Good morning," Jack said, walking over and standing there as well, waiting for that cup of sweet bliss.  
  
"How's the head?"  
  
"It's fine. Just looks bad. It doesn't even hurt anymore."  
  
"Looks pretty bad," Jared agreed, grinning. Funny now, not so funny then. But lots of things were like that. "How'd you sleep?"  
  
"All things considered, pretty well. As well as I can on a bed built for a ten year old."  
  
Jared laughed, "I know what you mean. When I first came here they wanted me to sleep on one of those cots they call bunks for the entire summer. But I put a stop to that and went and got a real bed before the week was out."  
  
Jack smiled, wishing he had a real bed. He certainly missed his.  
  
"Raining out, yet?"  
  
"Was just starting to."  
  
"They have an alternate schedule they use when it's raining, since we get a lot of lightening and don't want to risk people being on the lake in case a storm blows in. Chances are, if it's raining, they'll change the schedule that you have and switch to the alternate."  
  
"We were scheduled for free time," Jack began, and Jared nodded.  
  
"Yeah, they normally figure the free time kids are the ones that are canoeing and swimming. Probably they'll just pull in the entire camp for the morning, at least, and do a big activity. No one wants to ride in the rain, or sail in the rain." He grinned, "Of course, I figure there's a couple people in your cabin who don't want to sail or ride no matter what the weather, eh?"  
  
Jack was saved from answering this by the arrival of Sam. She was shivering and damp; the sweatshirt she was wearing was rain-spattered and her hair was wet, too.  
  
"Morning, Samantha," Jared called as she walked up to the two men.  
  
"Good morning, Jared," Sam said, walking over to stand next to O'Neill. He smiled a welcome, and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her up against his side. It doubled as both a way to warm her up, and a reminder to the cook that Sam was taken. She smiled and leaned against him, stealing as much of his body heat as she could.  
  
"Jared was telling me that we'll probably end up doing another group activity this morning, because of the rain."  
  
"That'll be fun," Sam said. She colored a bit when she thought of what her and O'Neill had done the night before during the last 'group activity', but she wasn't sorry. And he obviously wasn't either.  
  
"Yeah, should be a good time," Jared said.  
  
The coffee finished as they were talking, and Jared poured a cup and handed it to Sam, then another for Jack and himself. "I'd better get breakfast going. See you two later."  
  
"Let's go sit down," Jack said, not removing his arm from around Sam as the two walked over to 'their' seats. He let her go only when he had to so that she could sit down, and then pressed a kiss against the top of her head as he did so, just because he could.  
  
"No regrets, Jack?" Sam asked as she took another sip of her coffee.  
  
He smiled and shook his head. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"  
  
"I don't have any," Sam said. "Although what we're going to do about it once this week's over..."  
  
"We'll figure something out, Sam." Jack told her. "I'm not going to be able to go back to the way things were." He raised an eyebrow at her, "Unless you want to, that is?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Jack! Sam!"  
  
Shawn came rushing up to them.  
  
"He only has one speed, doesn't he?" Sam asked with a smile as the boy came running across the room.  
  
"Uh huh." Jack pulled the chair out beside him so that Shawn could sit down, and reached over to feel his hair. Soaking wet, just like the t-shirt he was wearing.  
  
"Where's your coat, Shawn?" Sam asked.  
  
"I forgot to pack it." He grinned, shrugging. "I didn't bring a hat, either. My mom's going to kill me if she finds out." He didn't seem too worried about his eminent death, though.  
  
Jack pulled off his sweatshirt and handed it over to the boy, shaking his head. "Put that on, Dipstick. Before you catch a cold, and your mom kills me for letting you."  
  
"Thanks, Jack." The boy slipped the sweatshirt on over his head. It was too big, of course, but he didn't care. It was warm, and even better, it was Jack's.  
  
"Come here," Sam said. Shawn stood in front of her and Sam rolled the sleeves up for him, making it fit a little better.  
  
"I'll give it back when we get to the cabin, Jack," Shawn told him.  
  
"No, you keep it," Jack said. "My coat is in my truck. Because I made sure to pack sensibly."  
  
"Or because you left it in there because you forgot to take it into your house?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah... well, maybe that's the reason. But mine sounds more responsible." 


	30. 30

"Where's everyone else?" Jack asked.  
  
"Daniel's getting up, and Murray is gone. I just got dressed and came down here, but everyone's awake. Daniel put Tyler in charge of the watch today."  
  
"In charge of the watch?" Sam asked, confused.  
  
"That's the person whose job it is to make sure all of us are down here for breakfast on time. Everyone has to do what he says, and if he does a good job, he gets to be runner."  
  
"Ah. Makes sense." Leave it to O'Neill to be able to figure out a way to delegate authority, even with nine year olds.  
  
"Well, I have my moments," Jack said, smiling. "I'd better go check on Daniel, though. Make sure that arm isn't bothering him." He looked at Shawn, "Will you do me a favor and keep Sam company?"  
  
"Sure, Jack." He reached over and took Jack's coffee cup, and pulled it up to him, imitating the way Jack tended to nurse his cup as he was drinking it.  
  
"Thanks." O'Neill grinned at Sam, and headed back outside.  
  
It was pouring, now, and he stopped at his truck and grabbed his jacket before heading up to China. A few girls were running down the hill, shouting good morning as they ran past, but not stopping to say hi. Jack had a feeling if he was Daniel, the girls would have stopped, rain or no rain. Ah well. The price of obscurity. He walked up to the door of the cabin and opened it, wiping his feet on the doormat before he actually went in.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Hi Jack!"  
  
"It's really raining out, huh, Jack?"  
  
"I can't find my shoes, Jack!"  
  
"They're in my bed, I told you already."  
  
"Shawn went looking for you," Daniel said, walking out of the bathroom, trying to clean his glasses one handed.  
  
"Yeah, he found me." He took Daniel's glasses from him and cleaned them on his T-shirt. "How's the arm?"  
  
"Thanks," Daniel took his glasses back. "The arm's fine. How's the head?"  
  
"Head's fine. Just bruised. Looks like we'll be doing a group activity today, because of the rain. I guess they don't like people sailing in the rain, or riding in the rain. Too dangerous."  
  
"Ah. That's ironic, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah, well." He looked around at the chaos on the floor as kids dug through their bags looking for sweatshirts and coats.  
  
"You packed a coat?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You guys all have coats?" Jack asked.  
  
There were assorted shouts of affirmation, and Jack nodded. "Make sure you wear them, okay? I don't want you getting sick."  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"Who's watch guy today?"  
  
"Tyler!"  
  
"Everyone awake, Tyler?"  
  
"Yeah! We'll be to breakfast on time, Jack."  
  
"Good. I'm going to head back down and get our seats saved. If you guys are ready, come with me, otherwise make sure you're there when Tyler tells you to, okay?"  
  
"Coming, Daniel?"  
  
"Yeah. I could use a cup of coffee."  
  
The two men headed out the door, followed by five of the boys, all who stopped to hold their hands out and catch raindrops.  
  
"Keep that cast dry," Jack told Daniel.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do I get to sign it?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I'll see if one of the girls has a pen I can borrow." He grinned at the immediate scowl this produced.  
  
"Daniel!" This was shriek, and there was no denying the direction it came from.  
  
"Speaking of which..." Jack said softly, looking over to see a small group of girls from Sam's cabin come running up, with Sally and Jean walking at a more sedate pace behind them.  
  
"Good morning," Daniel said to the group as they approached.  
  
"Hi! How's your arm?"  
  
"It's fine. Just a little sore."  
  
"How's your head, Jack?" Jean asked, wincing as she walked up and saw the bruises were just as purple.  
  
"Oh, it's better. Doesn't hurt at all. Thanks."  
  
"Can we sign your cast, Daniel?"  
  
"No, we haven't signed it yet."  
  
"Devon did. I see his name on it."  
  
"That's because he won the rummy tournament. The rest of us get to sign it before you do."  
  
"So sign it already. What's taking so long?"  
  
"They'll sign it when we get down to the cafeteria, then you girls can sign it." Daniel sounded like he normally sounded when talking to Jack; exasperated.  
  
"Girls, you can wait your turn," Sally told them firmly. "Why don't you run down and get out of the rain? We'll be there shortly."  
  
They did as they were told, and Jack sent the boys after them. "Go tell Sam we're coming," he told them, more to get them out of the rain than anything else.  
  
"I could kiss you," Daniel said to Sally, shaking his head.  
  
"Well, that's a thought," Sally said, laughing. "Seriously, Daniel, don't let them pester you like that. If they get too annoying, send them to me, or Jean."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Jack privately thought that if Daniel sent the girls to Sally or Jean every time the girls became annoying, the two counselors would never have a moments rest. Or a minute alone. Again he thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to counsel girls. 


	31. 31

Author's note: I would have had this out earlier, but I went and played Texas Hold'em with my family. I'll make it up to you guys by getting another couple out tonight, I promise! I hope you're enjoying it. Feel free to email me if you want to see something in particular happen, and don't forget to review! Review! Review!  
  
~~**~~*  
  
They rejoined Sam and Shawn at the table, and the rest of the campers filtered in while the boys borrowed a pen and started signing Daniel's cast. Tyler brought in the last of the boy's from China, and right behind them came Teal'c. Everyone was drenched, but there was a lot of laughter and good spirits.  
  
As soon as everyone sat down, Gary Hines stood up and made a few announcements.  
  
"As everyone knows, it's raining." There was a general chorus of 'duh' and a lot of good-natured sarcasm, but it died down fairly quickly, and he continued, grinning. "Anyways! It's raining, and we don't think it's a great idea for people to be sailing or in the water in the rain, in case there's lightning, and the trails are a little slick for any long distance horseback riding..." He glanced over at Daniel as he said this, who smiled. "So, we're going to be doing group activities this morning, and this afternoon, if necessary. Once you're done with breakfast, I want you all to meet down in the gym, and we'll explain what you're going to be doing."  
  
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Gary sat down at his table and the cooks called for the Runners to come get their plates of breakfast.  
  
"What do you think we're going to be doing, Jack?" Asked one of the boys.  
  
"I hope it's Arts and Crafts!"  
  
"Me, too!"  
  
"I hope it's football in the mud!"  
  
"Tug-of-war!"  
  
"I get to be on Murray's team if it is!"  
  
"Me, too!"  
  
There were a few minutes of silence as Tyler brought the first plates filled with pancakes over, and the boys started eating hungrily, and Jack got up and retrieved the pot of coffee from the little table and brought it back and filled his cup and Sam's, then poured another for Daniel, who was clumsily eating one-handed and obviously getting frustrated.  
  
"Rookie." Jack grinned, as Daniel dropped his fork.  
  
"It's not that easy, you know?"  
  
"Oh, I know," Jack told him, thinking of all the slings and casts he'd ever been in. "I know."  
  
"Yes, well... maybe you do." Daniel had to concede that, since he could think of a few, as well.  
  
"There's a knack, you'll figure it out. Just don't spill anything hot in your lap."  
  
"Thanks for the advice." The sarcasm was oozing, now, and O'Neill grinned.  
  
"Murray? Coffee?"  
  
"Thank you, O'Neill, I will pass." Teal'c was engaged in conversation with Andrew, who was teaching him all about tug-of-war. Which, as it turned out, was a waste of time, since that wasn't what the Camp Director had planned for his campers.  
  
They were assembled in the gym, separated by cabins. Gary came into the room and right behind him came an assistant, with a wheelbarrow loaded with large watermelons.  
  
"We're going to do a relay race," Gary said, grinning. "Every cabin will be given a watermelon for this relay. And each leg of the relay will be different, but whatever leg you're doing, the catch is that you have to take your watermelon with you. That's your baton that you'll hand off to the next person in line. Your job is to keep your watermelon intact, because at the end of the race, you're going to need it. Each cabin needs to pick its best rider, then they need to have a shooter, a thrower, a runner, a swimmer..." The list went on, and the counselors to each cabin were handed a piece of paper so they could keep track of who was who. It took a bit of preparation, and then the campers were positioned in their various spots, and the horn was sounded to begin.  
  
Teal'c and Simon started the relay for China. The two were tied together in a three-legged racing style, and Teal'c was handed the watermelon. They ran, awkwardly, up the hill, past the last of the cabins, and out to the large clearing, where they handed the watermelon off to Shawn. Carrying the watermelon carefully, the boy ran from one end of the field to the other, where there was a stack of footballs, one for each cabin. His job was to throw the football as accurately as he could, getting it into a garbage can while Teal'c and Simon cheered him on. As soon as he got close enough for the judge to pass him, he was sent, still carrying the watermelon, over to the next leg of the relay, which was Devon. The boy was the fastest of all the kids, and as such he'd been chosen for this leg. It was a simple mad dash down to the horse corral, where he handed the watermelon breathlessly over to Jack, who was mounted on Thunderball.  
  
Jack dug his heels into Thunderball's sides, and the horse took off like he was shot out of a cannon, racing down to the end of the open field to where Tyler was waiting. The boy was dressed in a wetsuit, and was standing on the boat dock, rain beating down all around him and the other campers from other cabins who waited with him. O'Neill jumped off the horse and carried the watermelon to the boy, handing it over and cheering for him when he threw it in the water and jumped in after it.  
  
For this part of the race the swimmer had to go from one dock to the other, pushing the watermelon ahead of them. Once they made it to the other end, another camper was there to run it down to the gym. There, the camper had to shoot a free throw with a basketball, while holding the watermelon between his feet so another team accidently didn't step on it. Then, once the shot was finally made (no matter how many tries it took) the shooter picked up his watermelon and carried it at a run back up the stairs to where the rest of the cabin had gathered in the cafeteria. They put the watermelon on their table and each team cut it up and started eating. The seeds were placed on paper plates, where the team's counters would count them as they piled up.  
  
Daniel and Andrew were counters. With his cast, Daniel was pretty much worthless in any other capacity, so it only made sense. One of the boys was wielding a large knife, cutting large chunks and handing them out, urging them to eat fast. Once the watermelon was completely consumed, and the seeds were counted, the race was officially ended. Then it was up to the judges.  
  
The judges were Assistant Camp directors and the kitchen staff. They were the ones who decided how many points each team received for each leg of the relay. If the watermelon was damaged, a team lost points. If the watermelon was dropped, a team lost points. They gave out style points, and speed points, and then they gave out points for the cleanest rinds, and then each seed counted was also a point.  
  
China was lucky. They hadn't dropped their watermelon at all, and it was in pretty good shape. The UK boys had lost theirs early on when theirs had been dropped off their horse's back. They'd had to get a replacement, which cost them a ton of points. France had dropped theirs, as well, and they, too, had needed a new one. Other cabins were better off, even though their watermelons had been dinged up and were looking poorly, and it was a close race as the judges started adding up their points as the campers looked on in excitement.  
  
This was nothing Jack had ever imagined himself doing. Here he was, standing in a cafeteria with a group of boys, spitting watermelon seeds onto a plate for Daniel to count. Even more unreal that Teal'c was participating as well. The big Jaffa had truly surprised O'Neill by jumping right in and doing what was asked of him. Probably, Jack decided, he was just grateful they hadn't been stuck doing Arts and Crafts. Now they were just waiting to see who'd won. 


	32. 32

In the end it was the Morocco girls who won, with China coming in a close second. The boys were whooping it up, though; glad that they'd beat all the other boys in the camp, and most especially the France girls who were so annoying. Jack grinned, swarmed by the boys who had gathered around he and Daniel and Teal'c.  
  
"We did it!"  
  
"We would have won if our watermelon had more seeds."  
  
"I think we did great!"  
  
"Good swimming, Simon!"  
  
Gary interrupted the yelling and cheering Morocco girls, and the hollering China boys and raised his hands for attention.  
  
"Good job, everyone! Now, you're all excused to your cabins to get dried off, and then we want you back down here in half an hour for the next activity."  
  
"I wonder what we're doing, next?"  
  
"Probably a cantaloupe relay."  
  
Jack grinned as he walked back up to the cabin with the others, and looked at Teal'c, who was walking beside him. "Are you having a good time?"  
  
"Indeed, O'Neill." The Jaffa looked at the boys that were running ahead of their counselors and nodded. "It is not something I would have chosen to do, however."  
  
"I was thinking the same thing," Jack agreed as they walked into the cabin.  
  
"Guys! Get dry clothes on and dry your hair. Simon, jump into the shower and get any fish poop off you that you collected while you were swimming."  
  
"Ewwww!" The boys laughed, and Simon did as he was told, heading into the bathroom.  
  
Jack wasn't really worried about fish poop. He was worried that the boy might take a chill from the swim, and had just used the first excuse that he could think of. Luckily it was a good one.  
  
He sat down on his bunk and reached under it, pulling out his bag and rummaging through it for a second. Finding a dry sweatshirt, he threw it to Shawn, who was peeling off the now soaked one that Jack had given him that morning.  
  
"Put that on, Shawn."  
  
The boy grinned, "Thanks Jack."  
  
"Any time."  
  
Daniel hadn't returned to the cabin with the others. He was dry, having been assigned an indoor job, so he had volunteered to help set up for whatever was next. Luckily, most of the girls from France were wet and had left, so he didn't have to face them all. Sally had stayed, though, and he was chatting with her as they cleared the seeds and plates from the tables and the folding them up and setting them in a stack to the far side of the cafeteria.  
  
"What are we playing? Any clue?"  
  
She shook her head, "It could be anything. They never do the same thing two times in a row, and I've never seen the watermelon thing, so it might be something completely different, and it might be something as simple as a rummy tournament."  
  
"We already had one of those," Daniel said, smiling.  
  
"So I heard. At least your guys have practice."  
  
As it turned out, it wasn't Rummy. It was Twister. Again the cabins were each their own team, but this time they were separated. There would be one camper per cabin at each Twister station, and they would be competing for the chance to go on to the final round, which would be one game for all the winners.  
  
Daniel was excused from the game – much to the disappointment of many of the girls, and a couple counselors - since he wouldn't be able to put any weight on his hand, but everyone else played, including Teal'c, who once again had to have the rules explained to him. Something Andrew was more than willing to do. The boy didn't even ask why Teal'c didn't know how to play games that every kid in the United States could play by the time they were five. Which was fine with Jack.  
  
Once the games started, it was obvious that Jack wasn't going to win. His knees ached anyways, and throwing himself into a game that forced him into some of the oddest positions he'd ever attempted only aggravated them further. He tried his best, knowing that his kids would be counting on him, but he finally had to collapse, much to the dismay of Gina, who he fell on and squished.  
  
She giggled when he lifted up, though, and pushed on his rear to help him stand up. Support that he actually needed.  
  
"You okay?" He asked, kneeling down and checking on her. He hadn't even known she was under him until he landed on her and heard her 'eep'. She was made of sterner stuff than she looked, though, and she nodded, still giggling.  
  
"I didn't smoosh you?"  
  
"Uh-uh."  
  
He smiled and walked over to the side of the room, where the other people who were out of their games were congregating. Unfortunately, it was a sign of just how bad he was that he was one of the first to go to the side.  
  
"Not bad," Sally told him as he pointed this observation out to her. (she'd been knocked out of her game rather quickly, too) "Just old, or even better, 'less flexible'."  
  
"That does sound better," Jack agreed, watching as Teal'c managed to get his right hand on blue while at the same time putting his left foot on blue, as well. The Jaffa was far more flexible than his bulk led people to believe, but Jack did find himself getting a little nervous anytime Teal'c's body was above one of the little girls. He might not have crushed little Gina, but if Teal'c fell on someone, it might be a bit more painful.  
  
He didn't fall, though, and as the crowd around O'Neill grew, it became obvious that he was a natural. Even when playing with kids that were far more supple and lithe than he was. And from the grin on his face, he was thoroughly enjoying this game.  
  
"I think he's enjoying this," Sam murmured from beside Jack.  
  
"I think he's enjoying it too much," Daniel said, leaning close. "You think he'll try to get us to play it when we get back to the base?"  
  
Gina came over and stood in front of Jack, leaning back against him in a not so subtle request to be held, and he obliged, pulling her against him and watching as yet another contestant fell in Teal'c's match.  
  
"I'd come play with him." 


	33. 33

Teal'c was one of the players that made it to the final game, which made the China boys preen and whoop. Jack grinned from where he stood against the wall, watching his boys as they rooted Teal'c on. He was still holding Gina, who was cheering as loudly as any of the boys, and even better, Carter had looped an arm around his waist, holding him. Since they were in the back of the group, no one really noticed, but Jack did, and he liked the way her hand was almost possessive on him.  
  
Shawn noticed, too, but the boy hid his triumphant smile. He'd done everything he could to get the two of them together as much as possible, and his plan had worked even better than he thought it would. Sam had seemed a little distant from jack before, not unfriendly, just ... well... something Shawn didn't understand. It wasn't there now, though. Confident that he was the reason they were standing like they were, Shawn was able to focus his entire attention on other things; like rooting for Murray to show the other cabins just how great China was.  
  
Teal'c didn't win. He could have won, but a wrong move by one of the kids had made him fall, and Teal'c had automatically reached out and cushioned what would have been a nasty bump to the head, since the boy hadn't had any hands free to stop his head from hitting the floor. The action had unbalanced the Jaffa and Teal'c had fallen as well, but he didn't mind. Winning was not everything. Honor was. His honor was intact, as it would not have been if the boy had been injured when Teal'c could have avoided it.  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"You almost got it, Murray!"  
  
"Didja see him?"  
  
Obviously, the boys didn't really care if Teal'c won, either. They just wanted to be better than the France girls. Jack let go of Gina, and Sam let go of Jack, and they went over to congratulate him as well.  
  
"You were great, Murray," Sam said, smiling at Teal'c.  
  
"Thank you, MajorCarter."  
  
"Hey! Sam's a Major! Did you know that, Jack?" The boys turned to look up at Jack, who nodded.  
  
"Wow!"  
  
She was even cooler than she'd been ten seconds before. At least to the boys.  
  
Daniel came over with Sally and Jean, and the girls from France crowded around their counselor. They, of course, had known Sam was a Major. They'd interrogated her thoroughly the first night they'd met. They were pretty certain they knew all there was to know about her, including that her dad lived somewhere out of the country, and her brother lived in California.  
  
"She works in deep space telemetry." One of the girls said, taking Sam's hand possessively. "It's very complicated, though, so you wouldn't understand it."  
  
"Yeah? So what? Murray's a Air Force Seal!"  
  
"Sam's smart."  
  
"Daniel's a Arconolobist."  
  
"Sam is pretty."  
  
"Jack's got a gun."  
  
"So does Sam."  
  
"Jack has more than one."  
  
"Enough!" Jack held up his hands to stop the arguing. Both sets of campers looked at him, and he scowled. "Sam is wonderful, Daniel is wonderful and everyone else is wonderful, too. Now..." he looked at his boys. "Stop yelling. Okay?"  
  
"Sorry, Jack."  
  
Sam looked at her girls, and they knew the look well. They sniffed, but they also apologized, although it was to Jack, and not to the boys.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Just for that, we're going to do something together. Just France and China."  
  
"What?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Awww... do we have to?"  
  
"Daniel, too?"  
  
"Daniel, too."  
  
"Oh. Well... okay, then."  
  
"Awww..."  
  
Jack looked at Sam helplessly; trying to figure out what in the world he was going to make them do to make them stop bickering. He was also aware that Gary Hines had come up beside him, grinning at the way O'Neill had put a sudden end to what could have become very annoying.  
  
"Why not divide them into teams, Jack? Split them up, boys and girls together?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"I get to be on Daniel's team!"  
  
"No you don't."  
  
Daniel sighed. Sam grinned. Sally gave Daniel a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Teal'c just stood there, wondering what was going on. Humans were so complicated. 


	34. 34

"So... what are you going to make them do?" Sam asked as the two of them led the little group from the cafeteria down to the gym.  
  
"No clue." Jack shrugged. "I lost my cool and spouted off before thinking."  
  
"But that's so unlike you..."  
  
"That's enough of that, Major," Jack warned, but he smiled to soften the rebuke, and put his arm around her shoulder for a second. He was racking his brain trying to come up with a game. Any game. Something the kids wouldn't hate him for making them do. Something they could all do together.  
  
"How about a basketball game, Jack?" Carter suggested. "There's too many kids to put them all on the court at the same time, but they could trade off and on, and you know they'd be rooting for their team, even if there was a boy on it, or a girl."  
  
"You're a genius."  
  
"Well... duh." She grinned.  
  
They reached the gym, and Jack told the kids to all line up against the wall. Predictably, the boys lined up on one side, the girls lined up on the other.  
  
"Oh, no. Boy girl boy girl." Jack told them.  
  
There was a lot of grumbling, but they did as they were told, with a little scuffling as the girls tried to get the spots next to Daniel. Who sighed.  
  
Carter placed herself in line as well, and so did Teal'c, Jean and Sally.  
  
"We're going to play basketball," Jack announced. There were no groans, yet. Not from either gender. They liked basketball. But the kids were waiting for the shoe to drop. And it did.  
  
"It's not going to be boys against girls."  
  
Now they groaned. But it was only half-hearted. They still liked basketball. Jack smiled, and went down the line, pointing at every other boy, and every other girl. These he sent to one side of the centerline on the court. The others he left where they were.  
  
"These are your team mates. No trading." He looked pointedly at the girls who were trying to convince the girls on Daniel's team to trade with them. They looked sheepishly back at him and hushed.  
  
"You have five minutes to huddle up and come up with a team name, and decide on team captains. A boy and a girl from each team."  
  
He went off into the little closet on the side of the gym as they huddled up, and the gym was filled with low murmurings, and some arguing as the kids decided on a name and captains. The counselors on the teams were there to keep any argument from becoming too loud, but aside from that, they left the decisions to the kids. Who eventually did what they were told. They broke their huddle when Jack called them back to him. He stood at center court with a basketball in one hand and a handful of blue and red jersey shirts in the other.  
  
"Decided?" He asked. There were assorted nods, and he smiled.  
  
"Good! Captains come here and get jerseys for your team."  
  
Shawn and Shelly stepped forward from one team, and Simon and a girl named Danin stepped forward from the other team. Jack handed Shawn the red shirts with a smile, and he handed Danin the blue ones.  
  
"What are your team names?"  
  
"We're the Rockies," Shawn announced.  
  
"We're the Lakers." Simon said.  
  
Well, they weren't very original, Jack thought, but what did he expect? He nodded, and the captains handed out the shirts so the teams would be able to know who was on their side. Teal'c and Daniel were on different teams, which was planned. Daniel was hurt, and Teal'c didn't know any more about basketball than he did about horseback riding. They would offset each other.  
  
"Pick your starters," Jack told them. "We'll be substituting whenever I blow my whistle."  
  
The kids organized themselves fairly quickly and with as little fuss as necessary, and Jack waited for the two that would be playing center to come forward for the tip off. He was impressed with the kids. They'd already done a good job of mixing up their starters. A good ratio of boy girl.  
  
"O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly as he came forward. "I do not understand this game."  
  
"You want to put the ball through the hoop, Murray." Jack pointed to the hoop that Teal'c's team was going for. "Through that one, in particular. Each time you do, your team gets two points. You have to make sure you dribble the ball – bounce it – and once you stop bouncing it, you can't start again. You have to pass it, or shoot it."  
  
"I have no weapon." His tone indicated he wasn't sure of the intelligence of a game that required shooting.  
  
"Shoot the ball into the hoop, Teal'c." Jack grinned, "Just stand on the side and watch at first, you'll see. It's not that complicated."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Teal'c walked over to stand beside Andrew and Gina, dwarfing the two of them. Gina looked up at Teal'c – way up – and he bowed slightly to her, smiling as gently as he knew how.  
  
"I have never played this before," He told her.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"It's not hard. My sister plays on the team at her school."  
  
"It's fun, Murray. You'll like it." Andrew assured him. "Just make sure you don't double dribble or travel."  
  
Teal'c didn't have a clue what either of them were, so he had no way of making sure he didn't do them, but he nodded anyways.  
  
"I will do my best."  
  
Jack waited for the kids who were starting the game to tell him they were ready, and then he threw up the ball and blew his whistle, and the game began. 


	35. 35

Jack already knew Carter was a genius. How many times had he seen her agile mind in action, after all? But he had to admit that this time, she was even more of a genius. As he watched the game progressing, blowing his whistle every now and then when he saw kids were getting tired and needing to be substituted, he saw that the kids were really meshing. And they probably didn't even realize they were doing it. The boys were cheering just as loudly for the girls on their team as they were the other boys, and the girls were even giving out high-fives to boys after particularly impressive plays. It couldn't have worked out better.  
  
They all were good kids, and there was really very little rough play, so there was little need for him to do any refereeing. Mostly, he stood on the sidelines with his whistle, watching the game and chatting with whoever was out of the game for either team. Usually it was one of the other counselors, but occasionally one of the kids would come over for a pat on the back, too. Which O'Neill was happy to give them.  
  
Teal'c was especially fun to watch. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing at first, and when Andrew threw him the basketball for the first time, he'd studied it closely, as though trying to figure out how it worked.  
  
"Dribble it, Murray!" Andrew called, miming with his hand what to do.  
  
Teal'c had bounced the ball, and jammed his fingers when it came right back up to him. It was far from a debilitating injury, though, and he'd bounced it several more times before he risked moving with the ball while he bounced it.  
  
"Maybe we should have given him a quick lesson?" Sam murmured to O'Neill.  
  
"Nah. He's quick. He'll figure it out."  
  
He had figured it out, too. The dribbling, anyways. He walked the ball up the court, admiring the way he could walk and bounce it at the same time.  
  
"Shoot it, Murray!" Gina called from the other side.  
  
So he had. And he missed completely.  
  
"That's okay, Murray," Andrew said as the two went running back to defend their basket. "I wasn't very good my first try, either. It just takes practice."  
  
And so the game progressed. Daniel, it turned out, wasn't the liability he could have been. Even with his cast, he could still shoot left-handed, and with a decent success rate. Teal'c was the same. He was given plenty of opportunity to shoot, and eventually figured out the proper angle to arc the ball to make it go in. It helped that no one was any higher than his belly, and the girls on the other team were a little leery about guarding him, anyways. He tended to have free access to the hoop when the ball was thrown to him. The girls who were on his team, though, were starting to loosen up around him, and a few had even dared to slap him on the back when he made a shot.  
  
All in all, it was a lot more fun than the kids had expected it to be. Even when Jack waited for the score to be tied before he called an end to the game so that there wouldn't be a winner. They were all laughing and whooping it up when they pulled off the jerseys and handed them to Carter so she could put them away.  
  
"Ball, Murray!" Jack called, holding up his hand.  
  
In retrospect, it wasn't Teal'c's fault. He hadn't actually passed the ball to anyone in the game. They'd passed to him and he'd tried for a shot. Jack should have known that. He'd been watching the game, after all. The big Jaffa looked at O'Neill, realized he was asking for the ball to be thrown to him, and then threw the ball to him. Well. Threw the ball AT him was more precise. He hadn't realized that the ball would fly so much faster without the arc that a shot gave it, and the velocity wasn't something Jack was ready for. He'd also aimed for Jack's hand, which was raised up to about the same level as his head. And the colonel's hand missed the ball completely.  
  
The ball hit him in the face, and Jack dropped.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Right in the face!"  
  
"O'Neill?" Teal'c came over as Jack was levering himself into a sitting position, his boys surrounding him, all kneeling next to him and watching him with concern.  
  
"I'm okay." There was more resignation in Jack's voice than actual pain, although he hurt.  
  
"Bet that hurt," Daniel whispered to Sally, who was wincing.  
  
"What happened?" Carter asked as she walked up to the crowd. Now her girls were kneeling near Jack as well, looking just as worried as his boys did.  
  
"Murray accidentally hit Jack with the ball," Gina said. The little girl was near tears, Sam could see. She had a true love for O'Neill that only a little girl could possess, and he'd just been hurt. Sam gathered her in her arms, smiling softly.  
  
"He's fine, Gina. Look at him. He's sitting up."  
  
Jack didn't feel fine, but he wasn't about to undo all the good that the game had done just by getting his kids and Sam's all upset. He smiled, even though his eyes were definitely watering from the shot he'd just taken, and struggled to his feet.  
  
"I'm okay, you guys," he told them, still holding his nose, hoping it wasn't broken. At least he wasn't spattered with blood like he'd been with the boom. They didn't look at all convinced, but he smiled anyways, and reached down for the ball and handed it to Carter.  
  
"Good game, you guys."  
  
"Yeah, it was," Daniel agreed, nodding. He smiled at the girls who'd been on his team, and they smiled back, their attention already off O'Neill.  
  
"We did pretty good," Shawn agreed as well. He looked at Shelly, who'd been his co-captain for his team. "Good job."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Sam grinned, and set Gina down, and the little girl ran over to Jack, who picked her up in one arm while he still nursed his aching face with the other.  
  
"It's about lunchtime. Shall we go see what we're having?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"I'm starving!"  
  
"Me too!"  
  
"Me three!"  
  
"Me four!"  
  
It dragged on a bit from there, but as the boys and girls all tore off up the stairs to head back to the cafeteria, Jack felt that they'd accomplished at least something with their game. Maybe a whole hour of no arguing? Who could ask for more than that?"  
  
"Are you injured, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked silently as he walked up the stairs beside Jack, who was still carrying Gina.  
  
"Nah, nothing's broken. We'll have to work on your passing skills, though, Murray."  
  
"Indeed." 


	36. 36

Author's note: I'm having trouble viewing any reviews, so I'm honestly not sure if anyone's enjoying it or if they want me to stop (except for one email I received) so if you're enjoying it, just keep the reviews coming, and I'm sure I'll see them eventually. If you have suggestions, it might be better to e mail them to me if you want me to see them. If you hate the story, or are bored with it, I'm willing to hear that, too, of course, as long as there's a reason. Hard to believe they're halfway through the week already, but they are!  
  
~~*~*~***  
  
Lunch was almost ready when they arrived in the cafeteria. Gary Hines came up to Jack as they entered the room, frowning when he saw the look of pain on O'Neill's face.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
He set Gina down so the little girl could go get a seat with Sam, and Teal'c answered the obvious question.  
  
"I threw the ball to him and it struck his face."  
  
Gary winced.  
  
"Would you please not do that?" Jack asked, scowling.  
  
"Sorry. Do you need the nurse?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
"How'd the game go?" The answer was pretty obvious. The boys at China's table and the girls at France's table were still chattering back and forth about the game, and the looks that were being sent his way occasionally told Jack they were also discussing the hit he'd taken.  
  
"Like clockwork," O'Neill said, grinning. "It might not last, but at least I don't have to listen to them yelling at each other for a little while."  
  
"Good. The rain's stopped, in case you didn't notice, so we'll be returning to our normal schedule after lunch. China is rock climbing, I believe?"  
  
The colonel pulled his now battered schedule out of his jeans and looked, and nodded. "Yup."  
  
Rock climbing was good. That was something Jack and Teal'c both knew how to do, and something that there was no way they could get hurt doing. With his broken wrist, Daniel wouldn't be able to participate, but that was no problem, he'd still be able to cheer on the group.  
  
They walked over to their table and sat down, and Sam smiled at him. God, Jack loved it when she did that.  
  
"How's the face?"  
  
"Oh, it's fine."  
  
"Another bruise to add to the collection?"  
  
"I hope not."  
  
He turned to his boys, "Since the rain stopped, we're going to go back to our regular schedule after lunch. So we'll be rock climbing."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"Rock climbing? Cool!"  
  
As the boys started discussing this activity, Jack caught the look in Carter's eyes that plainly said she was worried about his cabin. The way things were going injury-wise in that group; rock climbing was a risky undertaking.  
  
"Don't worry, Carter. Murray and I are excellent rock climbers."  
  
"I know."  
  
"We've never fallen off a cliff yet."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Indeed, MajorCarter. Climbing is one of the first skills I learned."  
  
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Her look didn't agree with her words, though, and Jack scowled again as he asked which boys hadn't yet been runners, and picked one to be their server.  
  
Despite what he'd told the Camp Director, Gary had obviously discussed Jack with the Nurse. During their meal, she came over, smiling as though she were simply there to talk, but her eyes were already looking at his face; searching for new injuries.  
  
"How's the hand, Daniel?" She asked as she ran her fingers along the bridge of Jack's nose, trying to feel through the swelling to tell if there was a fracture.  
  
"It's fine," Daniel said, looking down at his hand. The white of the cast was barely visible through all the signatures of all the boys and girls that had signed it. "I might need a bigger cast, though, if anyone else asks to sign it."  
  
The Nurse smiled, and continued her examination, with all the boys watching intently. Jack was fidgeting, though, and it wasn't making her job any easier.  
  
"Hold still, Jack. Please." She said.  
  
He sighed and did as he was told, knowing it wasn't going to help any to tell her he was fine. No one ever listened to him anyways.  
  
"What are you guys doing next?" The Nurse asked, more to keep the boys from worrying than out of any actual interest.  
  
"Rock climbing!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
The look she gave Jack was a mirror of the one Sam had given him, and the colonel scowled again.  
  
"We'll be fine," He assured her. "We've rock climbed lots of times."  
  
"Oh, I'm not worried."  
  
Even Teal'c could tell that wasn't true. She was probably mentally adding up how many bandages she owned.  
  
The Nurse finally pronounced Jack to be fit, even though she warned him that he was going to be very tender around the nose for a day or so. Of course, he already was, so that wasn't going to matter, and left him to finish his meal in peace. Although she did give him another of those 'I'm not worried, honest' looks as she walked away.  
  
Jack just sighed. 


	37. 37

"Rock climbing is a challenge, but there's nothing more satisfying than reaching the top of a cliff and knowing that you made it up with sheer guts alone."  
  
The man speaking was wearing a harness both on his waist and on his chest, although Jack, Daniel and Teal'c knew that for such a small climb as the rock face they were standing in front of, this was probably overkill. At least on a semi-experienced climber. The boys couldn't have enough harness to suit Jack.  
  
He studied the cliff they were standing at the base of, and decided it was a very good one for the boys to learn on. There were plenty of hand and footholds, and there were already metal pegs that were called belaying pins in place along what Jack figured would be the route they were going to take up. These would be the places that the boys' ropes would be secured, to keep them from falling more than a foot or two if they fell. It also wasn't that far up. A couple hundred feet, which would feel like a mile by the time they made it to the top, but wasn't too bad. A good distance for the amount of daylight they had.  
  
"Sheer guts and climbing ropes, right?" Jack asked, pointedly.  
  
The man - whose name was Nathan, but had told them all to call him Nate – grinned, aware of O'Neill's concern for his kids. He also had taken a look at Teal'c and Jack and decided the two men were not people to be messed with. Even though it looked like someone had worked Jack over fairly well recently.  
  
"Exactly. Sheer guts, harnesses and climbing ropes. Just to make sure you don't get to the bottom until we're ready to get to the bottom. And one of these for each of you." He handed out helmets, which made Jack feel a little better about the man's safety measures.  
  
Jack watched as his boys each put their helmets on, and Nate went around checking that they had fastened them securely. Then he listened as the campers were given a very stern lecture on never messing with their harnesses once they had them on. One that Jack nodded his agreement with so the boys would understand that he wanted them to obey utterly.  
  
"Have any of you climbed before?"  
  
Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were the only ones who raised their hands, and Nate grinned.  
  
"You're all Gumbies, then!"  
  
Jack grinned at the term he hadn't heard since he, himself, was a Gumby. Which was a novice climber. The boys weren't sure if it was a compliment or an insult, so they looked at Jack. Seeing him smiling, they decided it couldn't be a bad thing, so they smiled as well. They knew Jack wouldn't allow them to be made fun of.  
  
"Let's get your harnesses on." Nate told them, pulling out a stack of a dizzying array of leather, cords and buckles.  
  
Jack, Teal'c and Daniel were a lot of help to the man in this regard. They all knew how the harnesses were supposed to fit, and they had far more control of the excited boys than Nate did. When Devon was told to stop fidgeting, he did it immediately, grinning at Jack as he tried to suppress his nervous anticipation. Once the boys were harnessed up – and warned again about messing with them – Jack and Teal'c put their own harnesses on, and then double-checked all the buckles.  
  
Teal'c, because of his strength, was going to be the anchor at the top of the cliff, and he was going to be the one that made sure if anything happened, such as a belaying pin coming loose, they still wouldn't have a fall. There might be a cheese grater, but then only if Teal'c allowed enough line for the boy to fall and skin himself up. Teal'c had no intention of allowing any more slack than necessary on the climb.  
  
Jack was going to be a belay station about halfway up the rock. He knew the boys better than Nate did, and as such, he'd decide when they reached him if they were too tired to finish the climb. The spot he'd chosen for himself was a good one; there was a small ledge that he could give the boys a rest on. He wanted them all to make the climb, since he knew how good it would feel to make the top. Especially when you were nine years old.  
  
Teal'c went up the rock first, climbing easily. He was using the ropes, and securing points as he made his way up, just to give the boys a notion of what to do, but he didn't really need them. He wasn't even breathing all that hard by the time he made the crest. He waved to the boys, and secured the safety line to a belaying pin that was drilled deeply into the rock at the top of the cliff for just that purpose.  
  
"Belay on!" Teal'c called, letting Jack know he was ready. Jack waved back, and checked his ropes once more, then thumped Shawn on the top of his helmet with a grin.  
  
"You guys do what Nate tells you, okay? I'll see you in a bit." He looked up at Teal'c, and yelled, "Climbing!" to let the Jaffa know he was heading up.  
  
The climb was fairly easy, as he'd known it would be, and Jack was soon at his ledge. He wasn't all that fond of heights – knowing fair well what a fall from even this distance would do to him – but he was stoutly secured, and he knew that the static and safety lines would easily hold him if he did somehow fall. Which he didn't intend to do. Securing his own set of cords to the belaying pin that was drilled into the cliff wall (again, for just that purpose) Jack waved down at the boys.  
  
"Belay on!"  
  
"Climbing!"  
  
Andrew's voice was the first he heard, and Jack grinned. His dad had been right; the boy was tiny, but he was definitely scrappy. He never seemed to back away from an activity. He watched as the little climber progressed his way from pin to pin, hands and feet clinging to every hold he could find, and Jack's smile was no match for the one that was on Andrew's face when the boy made it to his ledge.  
  
"Hiya Jack!" He was a little out of breath, but his legs weren't wobbling when he stood next to O'Neill.  
  
"Heya, Andrew," Jack said, thumping his helmet. "How ya doing?"  
  
"Great!"  
  
"Good, then you're cleared to go on." He double-checked Andrew's harnesses, to make sure nothing had loosened on the climb, and then called out "Climbing!" so Teal'c would know he was sending the boy up the rest of the way.  
  
"See you at the top, buddy."  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
There were no accidents on the way to the summit. Not for any of the boys, and not for Nate. When the climbing guide came up to Jack's ledge, he gave the Colonel a thumbs up.  
  
"Your guys are great, Jack."  
  
O'Neill couldn't have been prouder if they were actually his own kids.  
  
"Let's see about bringing them down, now."  
  
"Think they'll try rappelling?"  
  
"I'm sure of it." Well, not positive, but semi-sure of it. Rappelling could be spooky at times, and some of the boys might be a little nervous about trying it. But that would be okay, too. Jack would just make sure they knew they knew that the going up was the hardest part, anyways.  
  
When Jack followed Nate to the top, he was met by a chorus of cheers. The boys were standing well back from the edge as Teal'c had told them to, but they were all grinning broadly. And none were hurt.  
  
"Ready to get down, now?" Nate asked the boys. The sun was getting a bit low in the west, and while they had plenty of time, he didn't want to dawdle any longer than necessary. Just to make sure they had enough time that they didn't need to rush.  
  
The boys all nodded.  
  
Teal'c was going to go down first, with Jack as the belay, and Daniel down on the bottom with the Z pulley – which was a rope that would be used to control the rate of descent. It wasn't so necessary for Teal'c, who knew how much rope to play out with each jump of the rappel, but with the boys, it was absolutely going to be in place. Jack would hold them from the top, Daniel – and then Teal'c, when he got there - would guard them from below.  
  
Nate explained to them how to play out their rope, and how to bring it up short to stop their fall. He also warned them about letting out too much at a time. They wanted to jump, he told them, not plummet. The boys nodded, and watched as Teal'c started down, although they didn't see anything once his head vanished from sight, since Jack and Nate wouldn't let them anywhere near the edge.  
  
Teal'c called to them when he was at the bottom, and Jack looked to the boys to see who was going to go first. Shawn stepped up, and Jack felt about as nervous as the boy looked.  
  
"Don't panic," he murmured to the boy as he double and triple-checked his harness and ropes.  
  
"I'm not nervous, Jack." Shawn assured him, although he was as pale as Jack had ever seen him.  
  
"I know. You're great. Just make sure you lean way back, and don't take big jumps. I'll have hold of you every second with the rope. You won't fall unless I do."  
  
With that last bit of encouragement, Shawn went over the edge, watching Jack as he began lowering himself. He was awkward at first, mostly because he was scared, but Jack and the other boys called out encouragement to him, and his tentative hops became a little more like jumps. By the time he made it to the bottom, he was an old pro, and his last jump was an impressive one that landed him right at the bottom. On his bottom.  
  
"Good job, Shawn!" Jack called down as Daniel stepped forward and unhooked his rope and waved up to Jack that they were ready for the next one to descend. Devon was next, and Jack gave him the same little pep talk he'd given Shawn, reassuring the boy he'd be great. And he was. They all were. One by one the boys went slowly down the cliff and one by one Jack took a relieved breath. Then it was his turn.  
  
He traded places with Nate, and waited for the man to brace himself and let him know he was ready, then Jack lowered himself over the edge of the cliff. Looking down to make sure there weren't any kids in the way of his landing spot, he rappelled himself easily down in a series of well-placed jumps. Landing at the bottom to a loud cheer from the kids, Jack grinned and took off his helmet, wiping his sweaty forehead with one sleeved arm.  
  
"You guys did great," Jack told them as Teal'c braced himself for Nate's descent. Since there wasn't anyone playing belay on the top, Nate would only have the pins and Teal'c to stop him in the event of a slip. Something that really didn't worry Jack. The man was good. Jack wasn't worried that anything would go wrong.  
  
Then it did.  
  
Nate made a small error in a landing about halfway down, near the ledge that Jack had been on. The rock was loose in that area, something that wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't visible or anything, just flawed inside the cliff. A small crack that grew with every winter as water flowed into it, froze and expanded it, then melted with the spring thaw... And over the past few years, the flaw had grown from the inside of the cliff out. This just happened to be the moment that the flaw became unstable.  
  
Nate's foot hit one of the many extra belaying pins that had been drilled into the side of the cliff, and it hit it at an odd angle. The pin gave way, taking with it about a square yard of rock that had once been solid and was suddenly sliding down the side of the cliff, separating into dozens of smaller ones every time it hit another pin and broke up.  
  
"Rock!" Nate called out the warning as soon as he felt his foot hit wrong and felt the side of the cliff give way. Jack looked up just in time to see a shower of rocks coming down on him and the rest of China.  
  
"Move!" Jack had an instant to see who was closest to him, and with a powerful shove he pushed Shawn as hard as he could away from him and Teal'c. The boy crashed to the ground, surprised by the sudden move, but out of the way of the bigger pieces of debris that were falling to the ground, now.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Teal'c and Jack couldn't move. Teal'c wouldn't let go of his rope, since he didn't know if Nate's own safety lines were compromised, and Jack wasn't fast enough once he had pushed Shawn. The rocks, most of them no larger than grapefruits and many of them much smaller, came raining down on them. 


	38. 38

Author's note: I've had this one happen to me, so it's not so improbable, I promise! Cliffs can fall on you : )  
  
~~*~~**  
  
They lay there for a moment, not moving, although Teal'c's strong hands still had hold of the rope that was holding Nate's safety line.  
  
"Jack!" Daniel was the first to rush to their side, covered in dust from the pieces of cliff that had broken into the smallest pieces.  
  
"Tell me again... why I'm camping?" Jack mumbled as he lay still, taking a quick inventory of how he felt.  
  
"Because General Hammond ordered you to," Teal'c said, sitting up and looking up the cliff side.  
  
"Oh... yeah."  
  
"You okay?" Daniel asked as the boys gathered around and Nate dropped down next to them, worry in his eyes.  
  
Jack and Teal'c looked awful. They'd taken the brunt of the falling rocks from about a hundred feet up. But many of them had been slowed by contact with the pins, and even further by breaking up from the main piece of stone. It could have been much, much worse. As it was, the entire group was dusted with debris, and Jack and Teal'c had a few nasty bumps and cuts where the larger rock had landed. Mostly on Teal'c's shoulders, and Jacks chest, since Teal'c had still been wearing his helmet, and Jack had been looking up after pushing Shawn aside.  
  
"Yeah, we're fine." O'Neill looked over at Teal'c. "We're fine, right?"  
  
"I am not injured seriously, O'Neill." Teal'c confirmed. "Are you?" It was hard to tell with all the bruises Jack already had.  
  
"I just had a cliff fall on me," Jack muttered, looking up at Nate for an explanation. The man just shrugged.  
  
"No clue what happened, Jack. Must have been a crack in the cliff. It happens occasionally, although it hasn't happened here before." The climber turned to the boys. "You guys are all okay?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Dusty."  
  
"A bit dirty. Jack? Murray? You're okay?"  
  
"Indeed. Do not concern yourself Andrew."  
  
"We'd better get you two to the Nurse, though," Nate said, looking around. "We'll have her check all of you out, just to make sure."  
  
"Damn." Jack muttered it so softly that Teal'c was the only one who heard him, but the Jaffa couldn't agree more.  
  
~~**~~  
  
The Nurse didn't even seemed surprised to see the group walking toward her cabin, which doubled as the camp infirmary. She noticed immediately that they were all incredibly dirty, and noticed that Jack and Teal'c were bleeding. She also noticed the look of pain that creased Jack's face with every step he took. His shirt, which was dirty and dusty, was also bloody in some spots. Teal'c's shirt was bloody as well, and he, too, seemed to be grimacing with each step.  
  
"What happened?" She asked.  
  
"The cliff fell on us!" Answered Simon.  
  
"The whole thing. It just came right down on us."  
  
"On Jack and Murray, mostly."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are they okay?"  
  
"We'd better get them inside and check them," she told the boys.  
  
"Check the kids, first," Jack ordered.  
  
"All of you come inside."  
  
Jack sighed and led his group of kids into the cabin, followed closely by Teal'c and Daniel.  
  
"I'm going to go tell Gary what happened, Jack," Nate told him. "He'll want to have the cliff checked for any more flaws before we let anyone else climb it."  
  
"Of course he will..." Jack said, feeling pretty abused at the moment. He watched as the Nurse told the boys to take their shirts off, and checked them all for any bruises from rocks they might not have noticed. They were all clean.  
  
"You boys need showers," she told them all. "Go get cleaned up while I check Jack and Murray."  
  
They started to protest, but Daniel stepped in before they could get too far.  
  
"Come on, guys. By the time you get cleaned up, she'll be done with Jack and T-Murray."  
  
They went, although very reluctantly, and when everyone was gone, the nurse turned to them. "Shirts off, guys."  
  
"I will not remove my shirt," Teal'c told her calmly. Jack winced, trying to figure out how to get by this one. Obviously Teal'c couldn't take his shirt off. Not with his pouch. Damn. Damn. Damn.  
  
"If you're shy, Murray, I assure you I – "  
  
"I do not suffer from shyness," Teal'c informed her. "I- "  
  
"Murray," Jack stopped him. "Let me talk to her for a sec." Jack looked at the nurse, who looked confused, and he walked to the far end of the room, pulling her along behind him.  
  
"Murray has... a scar... that he's very... um... sensitive about."  
  
"I can't make sure he's okay until I check him out, Jack, and I can't do that without his shirt off."  
  
"Maybe we can cover the scar?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Be right back." Jack went back to Teal'c and looked around, scowling for a second, as he had a habit of doing when he was thinking. A towel proved him with the answer he was looking for.  
  
"Take your shirt off and wrap this around your waist, Teal'c," He told his friend, handing him the towel. "I told her you have a scar you're sensitive about, so she won't think anything of it."  
  
Teal'c nodded and pulled his shirt off, and Jack winced. The Jaffa's broad shoulders had a few cuts and deep purple bruises that showed clearly, even against his dark skin.  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"I will heal quickly, O'Neill. Do not concern yourself." Teal'c wrapped the towel around his waist, hiding the x on his stomach, and Jack called the nurse over.  
  
She walked over, smiling reassuringly at Teal'c, who watched as she examined his shoulders and chest. Obviously impressed with his musculature, she wasn't so concerned about the bruises and cuts as she might have been if he'd been scrawny. He had enough mass to be protected from serious injury. She slathered his cuts with antiseptic and bandaged him, then turned to O'Neill.  
  
"Your turn."  
  
Jack had stiffened up a little as he'd been watching her treat Teal'c and found he had a bit of trouble raising his arms to get his shirt off. The reason was obvious when the nurse helped him pull it over his head.  
  
"Ouch."  
  
He looked down, and had to agree it looked bad. Of course, it felt bad, too, this time. His chest had a few deep bruises, mostly up by his collarbone, although there was a nasty one on his shoulder as well. Most of the cuts were minor, just caused by sharp edges of rocks getting through the thin fabric of his shirt, but there were a couple that she looked at long and hard before deciding that he probably didn't need stitches. The nurse also noticed that O'Neill had his own fair share of scars, as well, and wondered what he did to get most of them. A few looked like they'd been fairly nasty, including a deep penetration scar at his scapula that she saw had an exit scar on his back, and another nasty looking one on his right arm, up by the meaty part of his shoulder.  
  
"What do you do for a living, Jack?" She asked him, too curious to contain the question.  
  
"I'm in the Air Force."  
  
"Ah." Well, that probably explained it, then, she thought. Training accidents or something. "Well... you're going to want to ice that shoulder, and the bruises on your chest, for at least twenty minutes. Hopefully, there won't be much swelling, and we'll try to keep you from stiffening up, as much as we can, anyways. How's your head? Anything hit you there?"  
  
She couldn't tell through the other bruises, and really could understand where he'd gotten all the scars if the man was so accident-prone at his regular job. Of course, having a cliff fall on you wasn't something that could be categorized as his fault.  
  
"Head's fine. Thanks."  
  
She wasn't completely convinced, but she didn't say anything else as she treated the cuts and bandaged them. Jack was just as glad that she didn't, certain that the first words that would have come from her mouth were 'I told you so'. He just took the pain pill she gave him, drank the glass of water and he and Teal'c made their escape as quickly as they could. All he wanted was a shower.  
  
"Oh, and no shower," she called as they walked out the door. "I don't want you getting the bandages wet. You either, Murray."  
  
Damn. 


	39. 39

Author's note: Thank you all for the emails! Feedback is very important, and the lack of review viewing is driving me crazy!  
  
~~*~~*~  
  
"Sir?"  
  
The voice was Carter's, and even though it was soft, it woke him immediately. He opened his eyes, and looked right into her very lovely blue gaze.  
  
"Carter? What time is it? Where are the boys?" He looked around. He was lying in his bunk, but the rest of the cabin was empty, and silent.  
  
"It's dinner time, Sir," Carter told him, looking down at his bare chest and wincing. "The boys and Daniel and Teal'c are all down eating. They said they didn't want to wake you."  
  
When he and Teal'c had returned to the cabin, still with their shirts off and looking so battered, Jack had spent a long time reassuring the boys that they'd be fine. Then a couple of them had run off to get he and the Jaffa icepacks for their bruises. After that, he'd decided he was going to lie in his bunk and be miserable for a while, and had done just that. He'd fallen asleep almost immediately.  
  
"That was nice of them. I didn't even hear them leaving."  
  
Carter smiled, and reached out and touched his cheek gently. "They said they were really quiet."  
  
"They must have been." He hadn't even felt a draft when the door opened.  
  
"They told me what happened."  
  
"It wasn't my fault."  
  
She laughed, "I know." Her hand moved from his cheek to his chest, and she examined the bruising with a wince. Jack held still, enjoying her gentle touch, even though it was hardly the time or the place to think of such things.  
  
"So... what are you doing here? Not that I don't want you here, mind you. Shouldn't you be eating dinner, too?"  
  
"I brought you something to eat. And I wanted to see for myself how you were doing."  
  
"I'm not really hurt all that bad, Carter." He assured her. "It could have been really bad. The whole damned rock could have come down on one of them kids."  
  
"I know. Teal'c told me." She smiled. "Shawn was telling me how you pushed him out of the way, too. Just like in the movies, he said."  
  
O'Neill shrugged, which hurt, and then winced, which caused Sam to wince as well, which caused Jack to scowl. "I wasn't sure how far away he had to be to be safe, I just knew he was too close. I'm glad he's not upset about it. I didn't really give him any warning."  
  
"He's not upset at all. He's telling everyone you saved his life."  
  
"That's probably an exaggeration."  
  
She leaned over and kissed him, gently and tenderly.  
  
"I think it's adorable."  
  
"Adorable?" Jack smiled and kissed her back, hoping that dinner had just started. "I've saved your life before, and you never kissed me like that."  
  
"New tradition, maybe?"  
  
Jack shook his head. "No way. As I recall, I've saved Daniel's life before, too, and I don't want him doing what you just did."  
  
Her hand trailed from his chest down to his belly, and Jack felt himself tensing.  
  
"Breathe, Jack," Sam told him, grinning at the way he suddenly stilled so completely. God, she loved him!  
  
"I'm breathing."  
  
"Uh huh." Sam kissed him again, then sat next to him on his bunk, and reached for the plate of dinner she'd brought him. "Dinner time. You'd better eat, so the kids won't worry about you."  
  
He sighed, and sat up next to her, not at all interested in food when she was so close.  
  
"You're really bruised up, you know?" She said, putting the plate in his lap and handing him a fork.  
  
"Yeah, I feel them all."  
  
"At least you didn't get hit in the head."  
  
"True."  
  
Dinner was good, but the company was even better, and Jack and Sam chatted affably while he ate his dinner. She told him about the ropes course, which had been the activity France had had that afternoon, and Jack told her about the climb.  
  
"What's on the schedule for tonight?" Jack asked her. Now that he'd had something to eat and a nap, he was feeling ready to face the world again.  
  
"Camp games." He groaned, and she laughed.  
  
"You and Teal'c are excused from them, but Teal'c says he's fine and will participate."  
  
"Of course he's fine. Damn snake."  
  
Sam laughed, and ran her fingers through his hair lightly, enjoying the knowledge that for now, at least, she could touch him at will. O'Neill obviously felt the same, since he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.  
  
They were like that for a long moment before Carter sighed, and kissed him again, then moved away.  
  
"We'd better get going, if you're feeling up to it, Jack. Otherwise, they'll come looking for us, and we wouldn't want to get caught in any compromising position."  
  
"I know." He hesitated, taking her hand, and kissing the palm softly. "I love you... you know that, right?"  
  
She colored brilliantly, and nodded, speechless that he'd mention it so openly. It wasn't his style to be so open about anything that had to do with feelings. Maybe he HAD been hit on the head?  
  
"And I just embarrassed you..."  
  
"Nah, I'm not embarrassed." She smiled and took his plate from his lap and stood up. "I'm just surprised that you said it. So... publicly."  
  
He looked around, saying without words that there wasn't anyone to hear him, but her, and Sam smiled. "You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah... well... it needed to be said. And I wanted to say it."  
  
She handed him a sweatshirt, figuring it would be easier for him to get on. "Thank you, Jack... I wanted to hear it."  
  
They closed that subject, then, as he struggled into his shirt and stood up, but he still put his arm around her as they walked down the hill towards the main building, and Sam rested her head against his unbruised shoulder, enjoying the rare opportunity to be alone with him. 


	40. 40

"Jack!"  
  
He and Carter walked into the dining room, which was bustling and noisy with kids yelling each other about their day, and counselors not all that concerned with trying to quell a tide that was as natural as the one that moved the oceans. Kids were noisy. That was their job. And it wasn't hurting anything to let them be. All conversation stopped when Jack and Sam walked through the door, though. They weren't holding each other, of course, but Jack was the center of attention as counselors and campers alike tried to judge if he had any more bruises than he'd had that morning at breakfast. Shawn had been the one to break the silence, by calling his name and gesturing to the seat he'd saved next to his own.  
  
O'Neill grinned a little self-consciously, and walked over to sit down, nodding at the people who stopped him to ask if he was all right. He held Sam's chair out for her, then sat in his, and ruffled Shawn's hair as he greeted his other boys.  
  
"How are you, Jack?"  
  
"Did Sam wake you up?"  
  
"She said she was going to, Stupid."  
  
"He might have been awake before she got there."  
  
"Sam woke me up," Jack assured them before they could start arguing. "She even brought me dinner."  
  
"That was nice of her."  
  
"Yes, it was." Jack looked at Teal'c, who was sitting across the table from him, and next to Daniel. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I feel much better, O'Neill. Thank you." He looked like he felt much better.  
  
"How do you feel, Jack?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Much better. Thanks, guys, for letting me sleep. I was tired."  
  
"We were pretty quiet, huh Daniel?"  
  
"Yes, you did great."  
  
They were interrupted by the arrival of Gary Hines at the table. He looked at Jack's face, which didn't look any worse than it had at lunch, and shook his head.  
  
"How are you feeling, Jack?"  
  
"I'm fine. Just a bit bruised."  
  
"And cut? Kim said you'd been sliced a little." Kim was the Nurse, as Jack was getting to know from first hand experience.  
  
"Just little ones. Nothing serious. I'm fine. Murray's fine. Kids are fine." Thank God.  
  
"Good." He smiled, "I just had to make sure, you know? I don't think we've ever had a counselor get more battered than you have."  
  
"Lucky me." Jack knew it was sarcastic, but he couldn't help himself. It was his nature. Luckily, Gary didn't take it personally. He smiled.  
  
"Camp games tonight, Jack. You're excused from them, of course." Probably because he didn't want O'Neill anywhere near anything that might get him hurt again. "That'll give you a little time to relax."  
  
"I'm fine," Jack said. "I'll come and watch the games, at least." He looked at his boys. "Gotta cheer on my kids, you know?"  
  
The boys smiled, en mass, and Gary nodded.  
  
"I'd better go get things set up. I'll see you all down in the gym in ten minutes." He went around to the other tables to tell the other counselors to bring their kids down to the gym as well, then left.  
  
"Are you really okay, Jack?" This was from one of the girls at Sam's table, and he turned to them, ignoring the sharp pain as he moved his injured shoulder. Nine sets of very worried eyes were looking at him. Sally and Jean weren't so worried, since they knew Sam would have told them if he was hurt badly.  
  
"I'm fine, you guys. A little rock isn't going to hurt me or Murray!"  
  
They smiled, almost as relieved as the boys had been, and Jack couldn't help but feel warm and squishy inside. That was a whole lot of love for one man to have coming at him all at once. He cleared his throat, aware that at any moment he might just have to start crying. And that would never do.  
  
"You guys done with your dinner?"  
  
The boys all nodded, although Andrew had just stuffed an entire piece of cake into his mouth.  
  
"Good! Let's get to the gym and see what we're going to be playing."  
  
"We're going to be playing. You're going to be watching," Simon reminded him as they all pushed their chairs out and got up.  
  
"Yeah. That's what I meant."  
  
Jack was surrounded by his guys, and then Sam's girls as France was dismissed to the gym as well. They chatted about the ropes course, telling the boys from China all about it, and how scary it was to be so high up.  
  
"We were high up, too."  
  
"Yeah, then we went rappelling down, it was great."  
  
"We jumped at a bar hanging from a tree," One of Sam's girls said.  
  
"Yeah, it was great!"  
  
"Did you catch it?"  
  
"Yup, but then I had to let go."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Otherwise I'd still be hanging there."  
  
"Oh. Are we going to be doing the ropes course soon, Jack?"  
  
"Tomorrow or the next day." He had seen it on the schedule, but he hadn't memorized the damned thing, and didn't feel like pulling it out and looking at it. He grinned, putting his hand on Andrew's shoulder as they walked down the stairs. "You'll be first one up the rope, won't you?"  
  
"You know it, Jack." The little boy said, grinning. "I'm small, but I'm scrappy." 


	41. 41

The game of the night was going to be a form of inside kickball. The camp was separated into two teams, and this time France and China were on the same team. Gary walked out into the middle of the gym, holding a red kickball under his arm, and he explained the game to them.  
  
"It's just like kickball, only there's a whole lot more people." He smiled, because there was a general murmur in the gym as the boys all started bragging about how good they were at kickball. The counselors hushed their boys, and Gary continued.  
  
"Everyone on the team gets a chance to be up. If you kick the ball and it hits the back wall, it's a homerun. If someone catches the ball, it's an out. If the ball lands on the floor, it's one base. And of course, if someone's on first base and you kick a single, they go to second, and so on. Everyone understand?"  
  
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Jack went over and sat in the corner of the gym, close to where the kid who was "up" would be. This was the safest place he could find in the gym, and it was still a place that he could root for his team.  
  
The boys from China and the girls from France were already good at sharing playing time, since Jack had forced them to play basketball together, so it was easy for them to simply add in the other two cabins to their team and mix up their players a bit. Jack was proud of how easily they did it. He was even more proud when he saw Simon politely offer to let Gina go first. Politely! Jack grinned, and cheered the little girl on as she stepped up to home plate (which was actually a square made of masking tape taped to the floor of the gym).  
  
Gina grinned, and kicked the ball when it was rolled to her, a foul ball that angled sharply at Jack, who ducked as it hit the wall above his head.  
  
"Sorry, Jack!" Gina said, blushing as the entire camp laughed at the look on the Colonel's face. He gave her a thumbs up to show her it was okay, and cheered as loudly as anyone when the next ball she kicked landed right in front of the other team's pitcher. A single! Gina ran to first base, grinning.  
  
The game progressed from there, and Jack realized that his safe spot wasn't actually all that safe at all.  
  
"Do you think they're aiming at me?" He asked Daniel as he ducked yet another foul ball. The archeologist grinned and shook his head.  
  
"They're aim isn't that great, Jack. If they were aiming at you, they'd be hitting me."  
  
BAM!  
  
A foul ball hit Daniel right in the face, bouncing off him and back to the pitcher.  
  
"Sorry, Daniel!" He gave Shawn a thumb's up, as Jack laughed. The kickball was fairly soft, luckily, so Daniel wasn't hurt. Just his pride.  
  
"Like I was saying..."  
  
"Well. Yes. Maybe there is a slight – slight, mind you – possibility that they're trying to hit you."  
  
"Well, at least I know it won't hurt that much."  
  
"Speak for yourself."  
  
Jack snickered, well aware that Daniel was a lot tougher than that.  
  
"I think I'll go find a safer place to stand," Daniel told his friend. "Like in front of a firing squad."  
  
Daniel wandered off, trailed by some of the girls on his team, who were waiting to see where he'd end up standing, so they could stand near by, and Jack grinned as Daniel sighed.  
  
In the end, it was a tied game. Not on purpose, since Gary had allowed the game to go into overtime – twice. It just happened that no one could score more points than the other team, no matter how many extra innings they had. Finally, it was getting very late, and even though everyone protested with a general loud whine, he had to call the game a tie. He sent them back to their cabins, and told them lights out would be in ten minutes.  
  
On the walk back up the hill, Jack found himself a little behind the others – mainly because he was walking slowly, a little stiff from sitting all night on a cold gym floor. Sam was up ahead with the majority of her girls, and Daniel had finally managed to free himself – for the moment, at least – of his group of adolescent admirers. He was walking next to Sally, and Jack noticed that they were walking a little closer than he would have walked next to Sally.  
  
He watched them, mainly because they were in front of him, and wondered if there was a relationship developing or if he was just being incredibly nosy. Or maybe when you're in love you want everyone else to be in love, too? Well... maybe. Oh! Did their hands just touch? Well, the cast was bulky, and Jack supposed it was a bit awkward to swing it in the normal motion. It could have been an accident.  
  
"O'Neill."  
  
Jack jumped, startled. He turned to look at Teal'c, who'd come up beside him.  
  
"I wasn't looking at anything."  
  
Teal'c didn't even bat an eye. He didn't have a clue what the Colonel was talking about, but he was getting used to that.  
  
"I did not say you were."  
  
Jack nodded, then looked back at Daniel and Sally for a second before turning to Teal.  
  
"Was there something you needed?"  
  
"Indeed. The nurse wishes for you to come to her cabin so she may look at your injuries. I already told her I have no such need of her services. I do not think she believed me, but she did not pursue the matter further."  
  
Meaning that she wanted to, but Teal'c was too intimidating to nag. Jack wished he were intimidating, too.  
  
"You and Daniel get the kids to bed, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."  
  
"Very well."  
  
Jack sighed, and went back down the hill towards the Nurse's cabin. Oh well, if he was lucky, he'd miss any pillow fights. Or another one of Daniel's stories. 


	42. 42

The next morning Jack was up early. Earlier than usual. Mainly because he'd slept lousy the night before. His face was throbbing, his shoulder hurt, and every time he moved in his sleep a stabbing pain in the muscles of his chest would jerk him back into wakefulness. He was awake when Andrew crawled into Teal'c's bunk with him, and listened as Teal'c rumbled the boy to sleep telling him about his son. Jack couldn't help but be impressed by the patience the Jaffa showed Andrew. He'd always known Teal'c was far more kind-hearted than his exterior made you think, but Teal'c was showing a soft side that Jack had never seen before. Mushy soft.  
  
Andrew and Teal'c had both fallen asleep eventually, but Jack didn't. He tried. And was woken up painfully again when he moved, and eventually he just stopped trying. When the glow in the dark hands on his watch showed him it was four am, he decided he might as well just get up and get his day started.  
  
Against the wishes of the Nurse, Jack decided to take a shower. He was gritty and dirty, and washing your hair in the sink and taking a sponge bath type bath wasn't the same as actually being clean, and Jack wanted to be clean. Quietly, he snuck into the bathroom and pulled the bandages off his chest, then undressed and got into the shower and turned it on. Discipline was all that kept him from waking the kids up with a round of cursing when the first spray of water hit the scraps and bruises on his body. Oh, that hurt! It hurt when he got in. It hurt when he lathered himself carefully, and it hurt when the shampoo from washing his hair got into the cuts. All in all, he was in a foul mood by the time he got out.  
  
He patted his bleeding chest with a towel until he managed to get the bleeding to stop, then rebandaged himself as well as he could. Then, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, he headed down to the cafeteria for a much-needed cup of coffee.  
  
In the early morning the camp was beautiful. Fog was coming off the lake, and drifting in among the trees. Jack even saw the tawny flash of what was probably a deer, startled by him walking past. The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky was bright enough that he could find his way easily enough, and there was an edge of pink and gold on the eastern horizon that said it was going to be beautiful. And all of it was lost on Jack. He didn't care about the deer, the fog, or the sun. He just wanted to get some coffee.  
  
He walked into the main building and found the cafeteria was deserted. No big shock, he should have known, but it didn't help his mood that there wasn't any coffee ready. Walking over to the table that held the pot and grounds, he put a pot to brewing and hovered as he waited for enough to fill his cup. When that task was complete, he took his cup and walked over to the bay windows that encompassed one entire wall of the cafeteria and looked out over the lake. Here he stood and brooded as the sun came up.  
  
"Morning Jack!" The friendly voice of Jared pulled Jack out of his reverie and he turned to see the cook pouring himself a cup of coffee.  
  
Jack grunted a good morning.  
  
"Made coffee, I see."  
  
Another grunt.  
  
"It's a beautiful day."  
  
Grunt.  
  
Figuring that Jack was probably thinking deep thoughts or something, Jared shrugged off the cold shoulder.  
  
"I better get breakfast started. We're having waffles with strawberries and whipped cream."  
  
"Joy." This last was said so softly that Jared didn't actually hear it, but he knew that O'Neill had said something, so he figured it was probably something good.  
  
"See you later," he called as he entered the kitchen. Jack turned back to the window, and continued his brooding.  
  
He wasn't actually brooding about anything in particular. He was just in a foul mood. When he got grumpy, he tended to clam up and become rather introverted. So he watched the ducks come and go on the lake, watched the sun brighten the day as it rose, and didn't enjoy any of it.  
  
A hand slid under his sweatshirt and caressed the small of his back. This got his attention immediately, and Jack turned to see that Carter had joined him by the window. He hadn't even heard her come in. She smiled a good morning to him, and noticed that he looked fairly tired and not a little grumpy. After all, who knew his moods better than she did?  
  
"Good morning, handsome," she said to him, smiling brightly, knowing even as she did it that if he was grumpy she was only going to make him grumpier by being sweet and sunny.  
  
"Hi Carter."  
  
Ah, the first sign of grumpiness. He was calling her by her last name instead of Sam.  
  
"Good morning," She repeated. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
Second sign of grumpiness. He was feeling fine. Fine was his answer to everything when he was moody, Sam knew. She tried again.  
  
"How'd you sleep?"  
  
"Like I had a cliff fall on me yesterday."  
  
Sam gave up. She reached up and ran her fingers tenderly along his cheek to let him know she loved him, then walked out of the dining room.  
  
Jack sighed, knowing that he'd been a jerk. He'd make it up to her later, he promised himself.  
  
Carter walked up to China, intending to talk with Teal'c and Daniel and see if anything had happened in the cabin to upset him. She knocked on the door, and heard the yells and shouts of the boys as they rushed to be the one to answer it.  
  
"Sam!" Shawn was the first to open the door and he grinned a welcome to her. "Jack's not here."  
  
"I know, Shawn. Is Daniel or Murray around?"  
  
"Daniel! Murray! Sam wants you!"  
  
Carter smiled. The boy had just turned his head and shouted. She could have done that. A moment later Daniel and Teal'c were both at the door, and Sam told them about O'Neill's foul mood.  
  
"He did not sleep well last night," Teal'c said. The Jaffa had heard grunts of pain when Jack had woken up, and he knew that his friend had been restless.  
  
"That would probably explain it," Daniel said.  
  
"You want me to go cheer him up, Sam?" Shawn asked.  
  
"No, Shawn." The last thing Shawn needed was to deal with a grumpy O'Neill, something that none of the boys had seen yet. And wouldn't see if Sam had her way. "Daniel can go down and cheer him up."  
  
"What?" Daniel protested. "Why me?"  
  
"You're dressed and ready. Go tell him a joke or something."  
  
"Why don't you do it, Sam?"  
  
"I already tried. I got nothing."  
  
"But – "  
  
"Just go, Daniel."  
  
He sighed, and walked out the door and headed down to the main building.  
  
Jack was still at the window when Daniel walked up to him. Hesitating, the archeologist cleared his throat.  
  
"Morning Jack."  
  
"Daniel."  
  
Well, that was a start.  
  
"How'd you sleep?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Hey... Jack... did you hear the one about the lion tamer and the three legged lion?"  
  
"Daniel... I have a gun."  
  
"Right. Well... I'll see you at breakfast, then, eh?"  
  
"Good bye."  
  
Daniel walked back to the cabin where the boys and Sam were waiting with Teal'c.  
  
"How'd it go?"  
  
"It didn't."  
  
Sam looked around, trying to think of something she could use, and her eyes settled on the one thing that might just do it.  
  
"Time to pull out the big guns, I guess." She said. "I hate to do it... but he's left us no other choice." 


	43. 43

Something tugged at Jack's sweatshirt. Looking down, he was surprised to see that Gina had somehow walked over and managed to stand in front of him without him noticing. The little girl was looking up at him sleepily, her hair still rumpled and an imprint of her pillowcase on her cheek. He looked around, wondering where her counselors were.  
  
She held her arms up to him, obviously wanting to be picked up. Knowing full well that having her resting against his chest was going to hurt more than he really wanted, Jack set his coffee cup on the windowsill and reached down and picked the little girl up. He rested most of her weight on his hip, and Gina put her arms around his neck and rested her head under his chin, looking out the window they were standing next to.  
  
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Jack asked her softly, looking out the window, too.  
  
"Nothing." She played with the leather thong that was holding the arrowhead Shawn had given Jack. "I just wanted to be held."  
  
"Did you just wake up?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
He ran his fingers through her hair, smiling slightly despite his foul mood. She was cute, after all, and not even Jack was immune to a little girl.  
  
"What are you looking at?" She asked him sleepily.  
  
"Nothing, really. I'm just looking out the window. You know, thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Oh, just stuff." He hadn't actually been thinking about anything in particular. Just letting his mind drift wherever it had wanted to go. Of course, she wanted more of an answer than that, and Jack knew it without her even asking. So he made something up. "I was thinking maybe I'd go fishing later."  
  
"Can I come?"  
  
"If you want to."  
  
"Will you put the worm on the hook for me?"  
  
"If you want me to."  
  
"That would be fun."  
  
"I agree."  
  
He was talking, now, and that was a good start to getting out of his bad mood. Carter had known that, and had counted on the one thing that Jack wouldn't be able to brush off, no matter how bad his mood. There weren't any little kids at the SGC to use on him when he was grumpy there, but she had them in abundance here, and set Gina on Jack ruthlessly, just telling her that Jack probably would like some company.  
  
It worked. When Carter, Teal'c and Daniel filed in with their cabins, Jack and Gina were still standing by the window, O'Neill still holding the little girl as they talked about nothing important.  
  
Carter winced, realizing that it had to be killing Jack to be holding her against his chest like that, and she went over to stand next to them.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
Gina turned her head, which was still firmly under Jack's chin, and smiled.  
  
"Hi Sam."  
  
"Good morning, Sam." That was a definite improvement over his earlier greeting, and Sam held her arms out to Gina.  
  
"Want me to take her, Jack?"  
  
"Nah, we're okay."  
  
Gina gave Sam a smile, and hugged Jack tightly, which made him wince, although he didn't say a word. Carter leaned over and kissed the little girl's cheek, but aware of all the people watching them, she didn't kiss Jack like she wanted to.  
  
"Breakfast will be starting soon."  
  
"We'll be there in a second."  
  
She went over and sat in her place near Shawn and the empty chair that Jack would be sitting in, and the boy leaned over.  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
They exchanged conspiratal winks, and a quick high five, and then joined in on the chatter that was going on at their separate tables.  
  
"What are we doing today, Sam?" Asked Shelly. The rest of her girls looked up with interest, waiting to hear what their morning would hold. Sam pulled out her copy of the schedule, and perused it for a moment.  
  
"Looks like a free morning for the camp this morning, then rock climbing this afternoon."  
  
"We can't rock climb," Danin said. "Jack broke the mountain."  
  
"Hey!" O'Neill had come over with Gina still in his arms. "I didn't break it," he said, defensively. "It just... broke." He smiled as he set Gina down, and found his own seat, smiling a good morning to Shawn.  
  
"It wasn't broken before you guys went on it," Shelly said.  
  
"Jack wasn't even on it when it broke," Simon said, coming to Jack's defense.  
  
"Yeah. It fell on him, but Nate was the only one on it."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's still broken. Which means we don't get to climb it."  
  
"You wouldn't have made it all the way to the top anyways."  
  
"Would too.  
  
"Would not."  
  
"Would."  
  
Jack shook his head, wondering if it was too late to just go back to bed. 


	44. 44

Author's note: Yay! I can read the reviews! Thank you all SO much for the kind words, and the corrections here and there when warranted. Yes, I speak from my own camping experiences when I'm writing this, and yes, anything that has happened to Jack has happened to me, so I know first-hand how it feels! More coming, I promise you, and thanks again  
  
"Good morning, Campers!"  
  
The kids looked up from their arguing to see that Gary Hines had come into the room wearing a great big grin. There was a chorus of good mornings, and a general rumble of chatter, but it died down quickly as everyone waited to hear whatever announcements he might have for them.  
  
"This morning is free time for all cabins," Gary told them. "There will be arts and crafts down in the gym, sailing and canoeing at the boat dock, horseback riding, or you can just hang out at the water and swim, or play football up at the field. As long as you stay in the boundaries of the camp, it's completely up to you what you do."  
  
There was a cheer, and a roar of conversation as kids started making plans for their morning.  
  
"What are you going to do, Jack?" Shawn asked.  
  
"I'm not sure yet, Buddy. You?"  
  
"I thought I'd go sailing." He grimaced. "You probably don't want to do that, though, do you?"  
  
Jack shook his head, "No, not especially."  
  
"I'll sail with you, Shawn," Andrew offered.  
  
"Great!" He looked at Jack. "You don't mind if I go sailing with Andrew, do you?"  
  
"Of course not," Jack assured him, touched that Shawn was worried he'd feel left out. "I think you two will have a great time."  
  
"I'm going to make a bracelet like Sam's," Shelly said from the other table.  
  
"You can't. Jack made Sam's."  
  
"Mine's going to look like it."  
  
"I'm going to play football."  
  
"Not me, I'm going horseback riding."  
  
"Murray? You want to come riding with us?"  
  
Teal'c had the courtesy to pretend that he was considering the offer, but there was no doubt in Jack's mind what his response was going to be.  
  
"I believe it would be best if I refrain from riding again," the Jaffa said.  
  
"Do you want to do some arts and crafts?" Danin invited.  
  
Jack snorted, and then covered it up by coughing. He was more likely to see Teal'c on a horse than gluing anything with leather ever again.  
  
"Perhaps I will go on a Nature Walk."  
  
"Ooooh, can I come?"  
  
"And me!"  
  
"I want to find a arrowhead like Shawn found!"  
  
"No deer droppings!"  
  
Jack chuckled, and then saw that the cooks were getting ready to start serving breakfast.  
  
"Who wants to be runner?"  
  
"Me!"  
  
"Me!"  
  
"Jack hasn't been runner yet!"  
  
"Neither has Murray!"  
  
"Or Daniel!"  
  
None of the counselors had. They'd saved the chore for the boys, since they enjoyed it so much. Teal'c stood up.  
  
"I will be runner."  
  
That was fine with Jack.  
  
"So what are you going to do with your free morning, Jack?" Sam asked quietly. "Go back to bed? I heard you didn't sleep very well."  
  
"Who told you that?"  
  
"Little birdie."  
  
He let that slide, and shrugged, which hurt.  
  
"I might do a little fishing. Maybe just go watch the kids sail. I'm not sure. You?"  
  
"I'm going to spend some time with you, doing whatever you're doing."  
  
Shawn grinned triumphantly, and Jack's grin was positively naughty. Too bad he couldn't go back to bed, then. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, because Sam blushed a little, which made O'Neill chuckle.  
  
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do Sam, but I'd love your company."  
  
~~*  
  
The morning looked a lot brighter when Jack went outside after breakfast. The campers were rushing past him; each eager to get to wherever they were going. A crowd of youngsters surrounded Teal'c, who was assuring them all that they could go on his walk with them, and Jack toyed with the notion of going along, just to help him keep track of kids. Of course, as big as Teal'c was, the kids were going to listen to him. Even the ones that weren't in China.  
  
Sam caught up to him, her arm going around his waist naturally, and he pulled her close with his good arm.  
  
"I wasn't very nice to you this morning, was I?"  
  
"You were a bit short, yes."  
  
"Sorry about that. I slept lousy, although that isn't a good excuse for being rude."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Jack. I'm tough. Besides, I'll find a way to help you make up for it later."  
  
"Jack!"  
  
His reply to Sam was interrupted by Gina rushing towards them. He smiled, wondering if she was going to come fishing with him.  
  
"I'm going to go horseback riding. Can we fish later?" There was no way a fish was going to be more fun for a little girl than a horse, but Gina was aware that she'd promised to go fishing with him, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings.  
  
"No problem," Jack said, shooing her off. "You go ride and have fun, and give Thunderball a pat hello for me."  
  
Sam grinned, and leaned her cheek against Jack's good shoulder as they watched the little girl take off at a full run for the horse corral.  
  
"You're really good with her."  
  
"Yeah, well... don't spread it around, okay?"  
  
"Who'd believe me?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
"You're really going to go fishing?"  
  
"Might."  
  
"I'll keep you company, but I'm not fishing." 


	45. 45

As it turned out, Carter did end up fishing. She started out watching as O'Neill went to the shack and mooched a rod and tackle from the teenager that was in charge of the water equipment. And was still watching when he walked down to the lake and around the shore until he found what he was looking for. It was a small dock, fairly isolated and out of the range of the swimmers, canoes and sailboats, so he knew nothing would scare his fish away. The wood was warm from the sun and smooth from countless people sitting on it, and Jack was quick to bait up a hook, put a bobber on it, and cast his line.  
  
Of course, since he was only bobber fishing, he didn't need to constantly reel the line in and out, which gave him a chance to sit down. Once he'd settled himself, and his line, Carter sat down next to him and Jack stretched out on the dock, his head resting on her thigh, his eyes on the bobber in the water. They were away from their kids, and responsibility, and with her fingers running through his hair, or alternating between caressing his cheek and rubbing his aching muscles, it was incredibly relaxing. Too relaxing for Jack, as it turned out. He was wiped out from his sleepless night, and the quiet and calm caught up to him.  
  
She noticed he was asleep fairly quickly. She was a rocket scientist, after all. Well, among other things. Carter's feelings weren't hurt by having him fall asleep on her (literally). She knew he was tired, and the morning was peaceful. It was just as nice for her to sit on the dock with him asleep, as it was to sit on the dock with him awake. Except that the amount of stolen kisses and caresses dropped noticeably.  
  
Of course, then a fish had bitten his line, and Carter had barely saved the pole from going into the lake. She grabbed it, trying to keep as still as possible to avoid waking O'Neill, and started reeling, for lack of any better idea.  
  
Carter didn't want to fish. She didn't want to catch a fish. She only wanted to spend a nice quiet morning with Jack. And sure enough, here she was reeling in a fish with no knowledge of playing the line or fighting the fish to tire him. She just kept reeling it in, watching as the antics of the fish at the other end of the line caused the fishing wire to go from one side to the other.  
  
And then she realized that she was enjoying this far more than she could have imagined. There was something struggling against her on the other end, and it was a battle between woman and fish to see who was the craftier. She would have lost due to her own inexperience, but luckily Jack had managed to catch a dumb fish that fought like a champion but didn't use any moves to rid itself of the hook. It was the perfect sort of fish for Carter to reel in.  
  
When she had it close enough to the dock, she panicked a little, fearing that she might lose it at the very last second, and gave a mighty tug back on the rod. The fish came sailing out of the water, and Sam had time to see it glistening silver in the morning sunlight as it arced gracefully towards her. And landed right in Jack's face.  
  
He came awake sputtering, and Sam tried jerking the rod again, hoping to move the fish before he realized what had happened. There was too much loose line, however, and the fish didn't move, except to wriggle around, flopping furiously and slapping Jack repeatedly with its tail.  
  
"Carter!"  
  
"Sorry, Sir!" She reached for the fish at the same time Jack sat up, and poked him in the eye.  
  
"Ouch! Stop! What are you doing?"  
  
His eye watering, Jack sat up, holding his palm against his face while he tried to figure out what was going on with only one eye to see out of. And found himself hopelessly tangled in fishing line with a wriggling trout in his lap.  
  
"Carter!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" She was still panicked, and was trying to hold the pole out of the way, and get the fish out of his lap without actually touching it, and unwrap the fishing wire from his head, neck and shoulders.  
  
"Don't be sorry, just sit still."  
  
The fish was his first priority. It wasn't fun to have a fish in your lap, and his groin was taking a pounding that wasn't at all appreciated. Carter stilled, instantly obeying his order, and Jack grabbed the fish with one hand, holding it firmly to keep it from whacking him again. He looked at the fish, which was a beauty, and back at her.  
  
"Where did you get this?"  
  
"From the end of your line. It bit while you were asleep."  
  
"No." Oh the sarcasm was deep.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't know what to do."  
  
Jack sighed and took the hook out of the fish's lip, then tossed it back into the water. "Throwing it in my face was the best you came up with?"  
  
"Reeling it in was the first thing I came up with. The rest just happened."  
  
He scowled, and rubbed his eye as he tried to untangle the fishing line, keeping the hook firmly between his fingers to keep from poking himself with it.  
  
"I was having such a lovely dream, Carter," he told her, and Sam could tell from his voice that he was at least starting to get over the mad and finding the humor in the situation. She relaxed marginally.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir."  
  
He sighed, and pulled the last loop of fishing wire over his head, then reached and took the pole from her.  
  
"I know you are. I'm sorry I yelled."  
  
He had fish slime all over his face, but Carter wasn't sure if she should point that out or not.  
  
"It's okay. I probably would have yelled, too."  
  
He didn't point out that she wouldn't have had to yell. He would never have had the problem landing the fish that she had. He also didn't point out that it would have been far easier to just wake him, since he was sure she'd been glad to let him sleep.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sam asked. Jack was rubbing his eye as if it were bothering him.  
  
"Yeah, it's okay. Just poked me." He lowered his hand and scowled. "Do you know how much it hurts a guy to have fish tails thumping in his lap?"  
  
Carter's eyes went to O'Neill's lap, something Jack found immediately erotic, and she saw that he had fish slime there as well.  
  
"It won't happen again. I promise."  
  
"Good." He softened the rebuke by pulling her into his arms and hugging her close. "Don't worry about it, Sam. I'm sure it could have happened to anyone." 


	46. 46

"Are you going to cast your line back out?" Carter asked him after a minute.  
  
Jack looked over at the pole and the extremely tangled line, and shook his head. It would be more effort than he really felt like dealing with.  
  
"I think I'm all fished out for the day," he told her.  
  
"I really am so-"He stopped her apology with a sudden kiss. A tender kiss that would have been a lot sweeter if his mouth wasn't fishy.  
  
"Don't apologize, Sam." He cut off the tangled line with his pocketknife, then put a new hook on the end and fastened it to the first eye of the pole, so it wouldn't be such a mess when he handed it back in. Then stood up and helped her to her feet. "It's not something I want to live through every day, but if it's the worse that happens to me today, I'll consider myself fortunate."  
  
"What are we going to do now, then?" She asked.  
  
He picked up the pole, and handed her the fishing tackle. "Might as well go see what everyone else is up to."  
  
They walked by the boat dock, where a lifeguard was standing with binoculars, watching the sailboats and canoes. The young man obviously remembered Jack, because he waved, and did a fair miming of someone getting whacked in the face with a boom.  
  
"Do you see any of your boys?" Sam asked as Jack scowled.  
  
"I think that I see Shawn and Andrew." Andrew was smaller than the average camper – actually, he was the smallest of all of the kids at the camp with the exception of Gina – so he was easy to pick out.  
  
"Two down and quite a few to go." Sam said, grinning.  
  
"Can I borrow those?" Jack asked the lifeguard, walking over and holding his hand out.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Jack looked through the binoculars and scanned the other boats swiftly, not wanting to keep the lifeguard's binoculars for too long.  
  
"I see Devon, and Shelly, and Patricia, and Danin." He handed the binoculars back with a nod of thanks. The lifeguard smiled, and went back to his watching, and Jack and Sam went to the shack and turned in his fishing pole.  
  
Their next stop was the arts and crafts station in the gym. There they found Sally and Daniel, along with the majority of the remaining girls from France. All of them were clustered around Daniel, who had spent most of the morning making Egyptian hieroglyphs on leather for the kids that weren't in his cabin and had admired China's wallets and bracelets.  
  
"Hey you two," Jack said as he and Carter walked up to the table.  
  
"Hi Jack."  
  
"Hi Jack."  
  
O'Neill noticed that Daniel's collection of bracelets had grown again, but he didn't comment on it. He also noticed that Daniel was hip to hip with Sally and didn't seem to feel she was in his personal space. He should ask Sam if there was anything growing between them, but he didn't want to be nosy. Well... he didn't want to be obvious in his nosiness.  
  
"Whatcha making?" Jack asked, looking over Daniel's shoulder.  
  
"He's putting my name on a piece of leather for a coin purse," one of the girls answered.  
  
"Then he's going to do it for me, too."  
  
"Then me."  
  
"Busy guy," Jack said, grinning. Daniel looked up, and shrugged, but it really looked like he was enjoying himself.  
  
"They know who they want, what can I say?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Carter and O'Neill checked to see if any of Jack's boys were around, but none of them were. Just a whole lot of girls.  
  
"They probably went on Teal'c's Nature Walk," Sam said as they walked up the hill towards China to see if any of the boys were in the cabin.  
  
"I'm sure they did, but it never hurts to make sure one isn't hiding. Besides, I want to change out of these jeans." The slimy fish jeans.  
  
"Can I help?" Sam asked, grinning.  
  
"Temptress."  
  
She did follow him into the cabin, but she sat down on Teal'c's bunk as Jack went into the bathroom to change and wash his face. Changing was easy, but the face washing took a little more care.  
  
"We can go check and see if any of them are playing in the field," Sam called as Jack opened the door and came out, now dressed in a pair of slacks.  
  
"Good idea. Gary said there was going to be football, right?"  
  
"I think that's what he said, yes."  
  
There was football. A game of tackle that was far rougher than Jack had expected. Of course, the grass was soft, so when someone got tackled it wasn't as bad as it could be, but he was finding he was fairly protective of his boys. And two of his boys were playing.  
  
Tyler came running over when he saw O'Neill approaching, and grinned.  
  
"Hi Jack! Hi Sam!"  
  
"Hey." Jack looked over at William, the other China boy playing, just in time to see him go down under a dog pile.  
  
"Having fun?"  
  
"Yeah! It's great. Want to play?"  
  
As bruised as he was? Not very likely. All sorts of scenarios went through Jack's head, including having a football bounced off his face. He looked over and could tell from the quasi-worried look in Sam's eyes that she half expected him to say yes.  
  
"Nah. We're just checking to see where everyone is, and making sure you're okay."  
  
"Everyone else went with Murray," Tyler said. "You want me to tell them to come find you when they get back?"  
  
"Nah. I'll find them eventually." He gestured to the boys who were waiting for him so they could run the next play. "You'd better get back there. And don't get hurt."  
  
Snapping Jack a salute and a cocky grin, the boy ran back to the game, leaving Sam and Jack alone.  
  
"Shouldn't you be practicing what you preach?"  
  
"I'm working on it." Jack told her. "Come on, let's go find some coffee and a place to sit in the sun." 


	47. 47

The day was still fairly young as Carter and O'Neill poured themselves a cup of coffee and walked back to the dock that they'd been fishing from. This time, Sam stretched out and rested her head on Jack's leg. He wanted to make sure he didn't fall asleep. Who knew what would come up out of the water and attack him next?  
  
Sam closed her eyes, relaxing utterly as O'Neill ran his fingers through her hair, just touching her and enjoying her company.  
  
"You sicced Gina on me this morning, didn't you?"  
  
She opened her eyes and looked up at him, but couldn't read anything in his expression. It was easy to assume Jack wasn't very bright, but it was wrong. Sam knew he was far more intelligent than he acted, and she had a feeling that he understood far more about what she did than he let on.  
  
"I told her you might want some company, yes."  
  
Jack nodded, but didn't say anything.  
  
"You mad?"  
  
"Nah. It was pretty clever of you."  
  
"Well... I am a genius."  
  
"Indeed." He leaned down and kissed her, gently. "Too bad you can't figure out how to catch a fish."  
  
~~~*~*~  
  
They spent the morning in that same position, just being together in a situation that wasn't life and death. The kids came and found them sporadically, so they were hardly alone, but they didn't need to be.  
  
"Sam!" A group of girls came running up, holding out their prizes from arts and crafts. "Look what Daniel did!"  
  
She took the leather bracelets and coin purses and examined them with all the attention she'd have given one of her complicated experiments, and then handed each of them to Jack so he could see them as well. Jack tried to look impressed, but he didn't manage it quite as naturally as Sam did. Luckily, Sam was the only one that noticed.  
  
"Jack!" Andrew and Shawn came running up, and grinned down at them. "Hi, Sam."  
  
"Hey boys. Done sailing?"  
  
"Yeah. Shawn almost got hit by the boon, Jack. Just like you."  
  
Shawn grinned as if this was the coolest thing in the world, and Sam couldn't help but smile.  
  
"It missed you, though, right?" Jack asked, looking for any pain in Shawn's expression.  
  
"Yeah, I'm quick. And Andrew warned me in plenty of time."  
  
"Good."  
  
"What are you guys doing?"  
  
"Just hanging out here. What about you? Going to do more sailing?"  
  
"Nah. We figured we'd go see what's going on in the field."  
  
"It was football when Sam and I were there a little while ago."  
  
"You want to come play?"  
  
"Who would be Sam's pillow if I leave her?"  
  
"She could come, too. Sam? You know how to play football?"  
  
"No, sorry guys."  
  
"They're setting up a barbeque for lunch." Andrew said, changing the subject swiftly and without notice, as boys were wont to do.  
  
"Great! I wonder if we're eating outside?"  
  
"Jared said we were," Shawn confirmed. He, of course, knew the names of all the staff members.  
  
"Okay, guys. You go play football, and we'll see you at lunch."  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"And don't get hurt!"  
  
"Okay."  
  
They took off at a run, and Sam smiled up at O'Neill.  
  
"They don't need constant reminding, you know?"  
  
"Yes they do." 


	48. 48

Shawn was right. They had lunch outside. Teal'c and his group of campers showed up right as the horn blew to announce it was time to eat, dusty and dirty and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives. The boys from China who'd went along on the nature walk also brought Jack another large sampling of different items they'd found in the woods. Luckily there wasn't any more poop.  
  
The horseback riders also showed up right before lunch, and Gina came running up to Jack where he was sitting next to Sam and vaulted into his lap, which made him and every other adult male in the area wince. He whimpered when her knee hit him, but he caught her up in his arms before she could tumble off the other side of his legs.  
  
"Did you miss me?"  
  
"I certainly did. Did you have fun?"  
  
"Yeah! I rode Smokey."  
  
Jack looked over at Daniel, who was close enough to hear the conversation, and smiled. "Good ole Smokey."  
  
"Vicious ole Smokey," Daniel muttered, but he made sure to say it softly enough that only Sally heard him. Jack didn't need to hear him. He was fairly sure he knew how Daniel felt about ole Smokey.  
  
They all sat at picnic tables to eat, and there wasn't a runner. Everyone lined up with a plate in their hands and helped themselves to whatever they wanted. And there was a lot to choose from. Chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, salads of all sorts, and cookies and brownies for desert. They ate on paper plates, so cleaning up was as easy as throwing their garbage away, which made very little work for the kitchen crew.  
  
As they ate, the kids that were sitting with Jack, Daniel, Sam, Sally and Teal'c all told them what they'd done that morning, and they all were as loud as could be, since there were a lot of voices to be heard over.  
  
"Hey you guys," Gary Hines interrupted about the time everyone was on their dessert. All eyes turned to him, and conversation hushed to a low din. He smiled at them all, and held up the schedule that was in his hand.  
  
"We're going to change the schedule a little this afternoon. Some of you were scheduled for more free time, and some of you were scheduled for rock climbing." Most of the eyes in the camp turned to Jack, and he scowled at the attention, which made Gina giggle. And he scowled at her, which only made her laugh harder. A look from Jack that could intimidate many a fine, courageous officer or enlisted man had absolutely no affect on the little girl. He sighed, and nuzzled his face into her silky hair, tickling her, as Gary continued his announcement.  
  
"Since you can't rock climb, France, you'll be up in the field with China. Morocco, you'll still be horseback riding, UK will be sailing, Germany will be doing the Nature Trail walk, and Switzerland will be doing Arts and Crafts."  
  
There was another murmur of conversation as the kids and counselors all chattered about their assigned activities. All but China and France, who had no idea what they were going to be doing. Just that they were going to be 'in the field'.  
  
"So, finish your lunch, take care of your plates, and I'll see you all at dinner."  
  
"What do you think we're going to be doing, Jack?" Asked Shawn.  
  
"No clue."  
  
"Football!" Simon yelled hopefully.  
  
"No!" This was an entire chorus of female voices. The girls didn't want to play football. Jack hoped that it wasn't football, since it was fairly obvious there was going to be a mutiny on their hands if they tried to get France to play.  
  
"Maybe Capture the Flag?"  
  
"Nah, it has to be dark." Andrew said, shoving an entire brownie in his mouth.  
  
"Maybe we're playing kickball."  
  
"Horse shoes!"  
  
"Horseshoes?"  
  
"What do you want to play, Murray?"  
  
Teal'c shrugged, unsure what the various choices were. All he knew was that he was glad he wasn't riding or doing Arts and Crafts.  
  
"I would be satisfied with another game of Twister," He told them, causing giggles all around.  
  
"I hope we're going to play soccer."  
  
Jack stood up, sliding Gina to the bench next to him. "Why don't we go see what they have planned?" He suggested. He didn't wait for an answer from any of them, instead taking his plate over to the garbage and throwing it away before he headed for the hill.  
  
The kids didn't need him to tell them to follow him, they did it automatically. Running ahead of him, or running just enough to catch up with him and walk beside him, the entire group, boys and girls, all headed up the hill, chattering excitedly as they continued to try and guess what they were going to be doing. 


	49. 49

When they arrived at the field, Carter groaned. There were six large straw bales set up at one end, with paper targets pinned to them. Behind the targets a large canvas wall had been constructed of PVC piping all fastened together to form a frame, with sturdy canvas forming the interior. The reason for this was obvious when Sam looked down at the other end of the field and saw a table filled with bows, and six boxes that had the ends of arrows sticking out.  
  
"Archery!"  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"Like Daniel does?"  
  
"No, like Indians!"  
  
"Oh, bows and arrows!" The kids that had run ahead were already standing at the table with the bows, some of them were looking in the boxes, although they weren't just grabbing arrows up as Sam might have expected. The boys and girls that had walked with Sam and the other counselors now broke off and ran ahead as well, too excited to wait.  
  
"Wow!"  
  
"Jack, look!"  
  
"I see." Jack wasn't looking all that enthused about archery, but Sam realized it wasn't the bows and arrows that had caught his attention, it was the Nurse, who was standing close by. Almost as though she expected to be needed sometime in the near future. Daniel noticed as well.  
  
"You'd think she didn't trust us to be safe or something..."  
  
"I can't imagine why," Sam said. All the China men bore the markings of their camp experiences, although Teal'c's were mostly healed. Daniel's broken wrist was the most serious, but Jack's bruised face and chest were the most vivid.  
  
O'Neill scowled. "I can shoot a bow without killing myself."  
  
"As can I," Teal'c agreed. The Jaffa wasn't any more pleased to see the Nurse than Jack was, considering it bordering on an insult to his abilities.  
  
Besides Kim, there was another man standing there that Jack didn't know. He was the one who would teach the boys and girls how to shoot their bows. He gathered the kids together, and waited for them to be quiet enough to hear what he was saying without yelling, then introduced himself.  
  
"My name's Frank. I'll be teaching you archery." He told them with a smile. "Have any of you held a bow, before?"  
  
There were a few hands among the kids, and all the counselors raised theirs. Of course, the France counselors had all been here before, so they'd done everything the camp had to offer. Sam and Jack were both trained to be able to shoot and fire anything they could lay their hands on, as was Teal'c, and Daniel had picked up a fair amount of experience with the weapon on his stay on Abydos.  
  
"Good!"  
  
Frank divided them into groups of four, with at least one counselor in each group, and put each group in front of a target with a box of arrows and a bow.  
  
"The canvas will keep any arrows that miss the target from going any further, and the arrows," He held one up and poked at his side with it, "are soft enough that you can't really hurt yourself, unless you get shot from close up. Which is why we don't aim them at anyone. Understood?"  
  
He waited for nods and murmurs of agreement, and then took the bow that Jack's group was going to be using, and demonstrated for all those that were new at the fine art of Archery how to knock the arrow, then draw back on the string and release. He didn't point out the finer techniques that Jack had learned, such as a smoother release trick, or breathing exercises that would make the aim even better, but Jack didn't correct him. These weren't all that important when it was camp.  
  
"Everyone decide who's going to go first, and I want that person to take the bow and get in position. We'll have a bit of time for some practicing, then maybe we'll have a competition to see who's the best archer in the group."  
  
There was really no way they could hurt themselves. Jack knew this for a fact. The arrows were soft, the targets were backed by the canvas, and as long as everyone did as they were told – which the kids had already shown a knack for – they couldn't hurt each other. Apparently the Nurse decided this as well, because she moved away from her position right beside and a little behind, Jack's group, and went to stand near Daniel's group. With his broken wrist, Daniel wouldn't be able to hold the bow, or draw the string back, and she was probably going to tell him that, if he hadn't already figured it out for himself.  
  
"All right, Shawn," Jack said as the boy stepped forward to take the bow from Frank. "Just anywhere on the target." Really, just anywhere but at someone else was fine with Jack, but he didn't say it aloud. He had faith in the boy.  
  
"You got it, Jack." He knocked an arrow and drew back the string, making sure to point it at the target and not at anyone. O'Neill couldn't find anything wrong with his form, and held his tongue.  
  
"Fire when ready," Frank told the campers, and the air was suddenly filed with arrows. Most of which went everywhere but at the targets. Some did manage to hit their targets, though, and Shawn whooped with success when his was one of them that did.  
  
"Yeah, Shawn!" Andrew was standing behind his friend, and slapped his shoulder. Shawn just grinned foolishly, and reached for another arrow, looking at Jack.  
  
"Good job, Shawn," Jack said, smiling. This wasn't going to be so bad, after all.  
  
~*~*  
  
It wasn't so bad, either. The boy and girls were having the time of their lives, and their skill was improving greatly. They'd all been impressed by Jack and Sam and Teal'c, who were doing extremely well, even with the inferior bows and arrows. Jack wasn't doing as well as he might have, since his chest muscles were screaming every time he drew back the string, even with the low tension that it was set at, but his skill more than made up for his ailments.  
  
Shawn wasn't surprised. Jack was the best, as far as he was concerned. And Shawn wanted to be just like him when he grew up. He'd already decided he was going to join the Air Force and become a Seal, and he was going to have friends as cool as Daniel, Murray and Sam. The afternoon watching the three Air Force officers showcasing their abilities just cemented that desire. And as he watched Teal'c, Jack and Sam have their own friendly competition to see who was the best shot – which Teal'c won – Shawn decided he'd have to find out more about Jack before camp was over.  
  
He hadn't missed the fact that every time he asked O'Neill what he did in the Air Force, the Colonel changed the conversation to something else. Murray did that, too, although Sam was always happy to try and explain to the campers what deep space telemetry was. Complicated. Way too complicated for Shawn to understand. He had a feeling that what Jack and Murray did was far more exciting and interesting. He just needed to get Jack to tell him, that was all. It should be easy enough. 


	50. 50

"Hey Jack?"  
  
They were walking back to their cabin after Archery, and Shawn had managed to get his counselor alone. At least a little alone.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How long have you been in the Air Force?"  
  
"Most of my life. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Just curious."  
  
Jack looked down at the boy walking beside him as he rubbed his aching chest. The muscles were sorer than he thought they'd be. Probably because he hadn't stopped when they began to ache. He'd been too caught up in the competition with Teal'c and Sam to stop. And now he was paying for it.  
  
Shawn met his gaze.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
"The Air Force?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Most of the time. I like the people I work with."  
  
"Have you ever killed anyone?"  
  
"No." Jack lied. He didn't know where that question had come from, but he wasn't going to answer it truthfully. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to get in to.  
  
"You fly?"  
  
There didn't seem to be any pattern to the questions.  
  
"Yeah, I can fly."  
  
"That must be fun."  
  
"It definitely has its moments."  
  
"Does Sam fly?"  
  
"Sometimes."  
  
"Murray?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"So is that what you do in the Air Force? Fly?"  
  
"Sometimes. It depends on if that's what they need me to do." Jack tried to think of a different topic, unsure where this one was going.  
  
"What's your favorite subject in school?"  
  
"Math." Shawn realized immediately that Jack was changing the subject again, but he didn't press. "My least favorite is English."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"I'm pretty good at science, too, I guess."  
  
They continued talking about his school as they walked into the cabin, Shawn telling Jack about his teacher and his friends, and Jack congratulating himself on the subject change.  
  
"Free time for an hour, guys," Jack told the kids once they were all gathered in the cabin, along with Daniel and Teal'c. "When the horn sounds, it's dinner time, and I want you all there on time."  
  
They all ran off, then. Some went to change into shorts so they could swim for a while; others rushed to see if there were any free sailboats. Shawn asked Jack what they were doing for their evening activity that night, and O'Neill pulled out his battered copy of the schedule.  
  
"Looks like outdoor games, again."  
  
"Capture the flag?" Shawn asked eagerly.  
  
"I'm not sure," Jack told him, grinning at his enthusiasm. "Probably not, since we already played it. But maybe something similar."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Jack asked the boy. He, himself, wanted nothing more than to relax and maybe take a nap.  
  
"I'm going to go swimming. You coming?"  
  
"Can't get my bandages wet," he reminded Shawn. "You go on without me, and I'll see you at dinner."  
  
"Okay." Shawn changed into shorts and went running out the door with his towel in his hand, and Jack sighed and sat down on his bunk, fully intending to take a nap.  
  
"Hi Sam!" He heard Shawn call from outside.  
  
Jack stood up, deciding that a nap could wait. 


	51. 51

Carter wasn't alone. She was walking with Daniel, Sally, Gina and an assortment of other girls who were basically just following Daniel around to see what he was going to do next so they could do it with him. Sam thought it was cute the way the girls followed Daniel, although she knew he didn't find it quite as charming as she did. She did know that he needed a little time away from the girls, though; otherwise he was going to probably go nuts. So when she saw Jack walking out of China, she grinned and waved him over.  
  
O'Neill walked over to the group, smiling at the girls and Sally, and scooping up Gina, who always wanted to be held if she could.  
  
"Hey guys, what's up?" He settled Gina carefully so her weight wasn't resting against anything that hurt too badly.  
  
"Daniel's ready for that talk, now, Jack." Sam said, reaching over and taking Gina from the Colonel.  
  
Jack didn't have a clue what Carter was talking about – which normally wasn't anything new anyways - but this time, he didn't even have a starting point.  
  
"The talk?"  
  
"You know, the talk you wanted to have with him about your plans for tonight." She was giving him some sort of eye and body language, obviously trying to tell him something, but Jack didn't have a clue.  
  
"Um, yes. The talk." It was obvious that Daniel had no more idea what was going on than Jack did, but both men nodded.  
  
"Well... come on, Daniel. If you're ready, we better have that... talk."  
  
"What was that all about?" Daniel asked a moment later as the two of them walked down the hill towards the horse corral. "Are we supposed to be having a talk?"  
  
"Not that I know of."  
  
"Well...?"  
  
Jack shrugged. "You didn't ask her to have me talk to you?"  
  
"Why would I do that, Jack?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"So... um..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
They found themselves walking next to the pole fence of the corral, and Daniel realized that none of the girls had followed him and Jack. It was kind of refreshing to him to not turn around and see a little girl watching his next step.  
  
"So, how's the hand?"  
  
"Fine. And your face?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Good..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Talk's over?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"It's kind of nice, though."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"The girls stayed with Sam."  
  
"Ah. You do have quite a following here, don't you?"  
  
"So... what's going on with you and Sam?"  
  
"What's going on with you and Sally?"  
  
Both men were silent for a moment, staring at each other.  
  
"So... Talk's over?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Daniel! Jack!" The two turned at the call, and saw that Gary Hines was walking up to them, holding the schedule in his hand.  
  
"Hey. I'm going around asking the counselors what they want to do for the evening activity tonight. We can have a campfire, or we can have a game. Do you have a preference?"  
  
"Game." Both said this immediately and Gary smiled. Male counselors always seemed to prefer games to singing. Of course, so far all but one of the female counselors he'd asked had voted for games as well, so it was even this week.  
  
"Okay. Looks like we'll be playing games, then. Do you think Murray would prefer games over campfire?"  
  
"I'm sure of it."  
  
"Great. Then I'll see you at dinner. I need to go get everything set up."  
  
"See you."  
  
They looked at each other again, still uncertain if there was something Carter had wanted them to talk about that they'd missed.  
  
"So..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Good talking with you, Jack."  
  
"You, too, Daniel."  
  
Daniel turned and headed for the cabin, still looking mystified, and Jack turned and headed for a cup of coffee, feeling equally bewildered. 


	52. 52

Jack didn't seek out Carter. She'd obviously sicced him on Daniel. Or sicced Daniel on him. Jack wasn't sure which. But it probably meant that Carter either wanted to spend time alone with her girls, or she wanted to just spend some time away from him. Either way, he didn't have a problem giving her the space she needed. He'd just go and find a cup of coffee and watch the boys swim.  
  
"O'Neill!"  
  
Jack turned and saw Teal'c coming towards him from the general direction of the swimming dock. The Jaffa was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and was drenched. As he drew nearer, Jack saw that he also had small bits of blue, pink and redBottom of Form stuff draped on his shoulders and stuck to the wet fabric of his shirt. He was also walking with his hands behind his back, but that wasn't new. Teal'c frequently walked like that.  
  
Jack stopped and waited for him to catch up, wondering if Sam had told him to have a conversation with Jack, too. Wouldn't that be an awkward one?  
  
Teal'c didn't want to have a conversation, though. He'd been down at the water with some of the China boys, and they'd introduced him to a camp tradition that O'Neill hadn't mentioned. One that the boys had assured him Jack absolutely HAD to experience as well.  
  
As soon as he was close to O'Neill, Teal'c's hands came out from behind his back, revealing two very large water balloons. Jack didn't have a chance. First of all, an attack was the absolute last thing he was expecting from Teal'c at that moment. Second, even if he HAD been expecting an attack, Teal'c was faster than he was. The first one hit Jack right in the face, breaking and drenching his head and shoulders. The second one hit him square in the chest, and when it exploded, it pretty much soaked any part of his shirt that the first had missed.  
  
Jack spluttered, wondering who he was going to have to get back for this one. Obviously Teal'c hadn't come up with this idea on his own. One of the boys – or Carter? – had set him up. It was obvious, though, from the look of satisfaction on the Jaffa's face that Teal'c wasn't completely innocent, though. The smug expression, and the big grin were sure signs of willing conspiracy. It also explained what the pink and blue bits were on his shirt. Now that Jack knew, they were obviously pieces of broken balloons. He should have recognized them before.  
  
"Where did you get those?" Jack asked, shaking his head and running his hand through his soaked hair. A water balloon attack wasn't painful, and being wet when it was mild out was hardly arduous. Besides, Teal'c looked so impressed with himself that Jack wouldn't have dreamed of holding the attack against him.  
  
"Andrew informed me of the ritual." Teal'c told him. "Right after he, Simon and Tyler ambushed me."  
  
"Ambushes are the best way to do water balloons," Jack agreed. "I think, however, that you and I need to teach our young men a lesson about attacking Air Force Seals."  
  
"I agree, O'Neill."  
  
"Come on."  
  
He led Teal'c to the Camp Director's office, certain that Gary would have a collection of water balloons that he and Teal'c could mooch off him. And he did. So they did. Grinning, Jack and Teal'c went up to the cabin, and enlisted Daniel, who was reading one of his books, and hiding from the girls. The three of them spent a full half hour in the bathroom of China, Teal'c filling the water balloons, and handing them to Jack, who tied them, while Daniel stood watch. Then it was a matter of the ambush.  
  
They'd handled plenty of ambushes, and had been ambushed more than their share of times, so the boys didn't have a chance. They loaded the water balloons into a bucket of water to keep them from bursting before they should, then Teal'c carried the bucket to the spot that he and Jack had picked on their way up the hill. They positioned Daniel with a handful of balloons on one side of the outside of the cabin, to keep the boys from finding a safe place to retreat, then simply waited.  
  
The boys came. Andrew, Simon and Tyler, who had initially ambushed Teal'c (and then armed him to attack Jack) were also joined by Shawn and William. There would be innocent victims, which wasn't something Jack normally thought of as acceptable, but was willing to make an exception in this instance. Laughing about something that had happened down at the water, they didn't suspect anything, and even when Jack came up into sight from behind the podium that the Camp Horn was welded onto, they simply waved. Right up until the first water balloon struck Andrew. Then they knew. But by then it was far too late.  
  
Teal'c's accuracy was a thing of legends, and when he stood up and joined O'Neill in the attack, the boys scrambled to find safety. Or a place to hide. O'Neill and Teal'c had chosen carefully, though, and there wasn't any place. When Daniel came from around the corner with his own balloons, it simply sealed the deal. Within moments they were all soaked. And laughing too hard to do more than put their hands up to their faces to protect their eyes. Grinning with success, Jack and his team dumped their bucket of water over Andrew's head, and left the vanquished foe where they stood.  
  
"Dinner's in twenty minutes," Jack reminded them, then the three adults headed down the hill.  
  
"Wow..."  
  
Shawn didn't even know what hit him. All he knew was that one minute he was drying out from swimming, and the next minute he was as soaked as he'd been in the lake. He shook his head like a wet dog would have, making water fly everywhere, then watched Jack's retreating back with a grin. Too cool.  
  
"We need to watch what we teach Murray, I think." Andrew said as the boys walked the rest of the way to China, water sloshing in their shoes. 


	53. 53

Author's note: A big thank you to all of you who are sending me ideas, and thanks to Sarah for reminding me of this game, which is only the coolest game ever played at camp (after capture the flag, of course) !  
  
~*~***~~  
  
"Come on, Shawn! We're going to be late!"  
  
The other boys were waiting at the door of the cabin, all looking back at Shawn, who was still getting dressed. The horn had sounded for dinner, and they were going to be late if they waited any longer.  
  
"You guys go ahead," Shawn told them. "Tell Jack I'll be right there." He'd spent too much time goofing off as they'd dried off from the water balloon attack, and even though he was going to be late, he didn't want everyone else to get in trouble, too.  
  
"You sure?" Andrew asked, dubiously.  
  
"Yeah. He won't mind." Shawn reached for his bag to find a pair of dry socks. "It's his fault I'm all wet, anyways."  
  
"I think it was Murray's idea," Simon said, grinning.  
  
"Maybe. Anyways, just tell them I'll be right there."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The other boys left Shawn alone, and ran down the hill. Shawn sighed, unable to find any clean socks, and picked up a pair of dirty ones. They weren't too dirty. He pulled them on and jumped off his bunk, looking for his shoes that he'd kicked off as he'd come into the cabin. They were scattered, but he knew more or less where to find them, and even though they were still damp, he slipped his feet into them. They'd dry eventually.  
  
He heard some other campers shouting to each other outside the cabin, and hurried to the door, hoping he wasn't going to be too late. As he did, though, his foot caught on the strap to Jack's bag, and he tripped, dragging the bag out from under the bed with the momentum, and causing Shawn to fall to the floor.  
  
Using a word he knew his mother would be shocked to even know he knew, Shawn untangled his foot, and pushed Jack's bag back under the bed, feeling a lot of odd shapes in the bag as he did so. Curious, he pulled the bag out and opened it, and grinned to see that Jack had put all the items the China boys had found for him on their Nature Walks into a large plastic baggy and had put it in his bag to take home.  
  
Jack had liked the necklace Shawn had made for him. Shawn knew, because Jack hadn't taken it off since he put it on. The boy had been so pleased with the reaction that he'd made Jack a bracelet to match during free time. Not quite as cool, but it was pretty neat, too. Shawn thought maybe he'd just put it in the bag and leave it as a surprise for Jack to find later, but then his hand brushed something else, and Shawn got a better idea. A much better idea. He'd leave the bracelet in a place Jack was sure to find it. Digging through Jack's bag, Shawn snatched up what he needed, grabbed his bracelet and ran out the door, his pocket jingling.  
  
~~**  
  
"Where's Shawn?"  
  
"He's coming, Jack." Andrew slid into the spot next to Teal'c, grinning up at his friend. "He had to finish getting dressed."  
  
"He's going to be late."  
  
"He said he was sorry."  
  
"He said it was your fault he was wet, anyways," Simon added with a grin.  
  
"Well... true." Jack grinned and watched as the rest of his boys filled the chairs around their table, then picked one of them to be Runner. It wasn't as though the boy couldn't find his own way down to the dining room, Jack told himself. He didn't need a nursemaid.  
  
However, it was a good fifteen minutes later before Shawn actually came into the cafeteria. He was panting, as though he'd been running full out, and as he slid into the spot they'd saved for him next to O'Neill, Jack wondered why he looked so pale.  
  
"You okay?" Jack asked.  
  
"Fine." He gave Jack a smile, but it wasn't the usual smile he gave the Colonel, and Jack gave him a second look, putting a hand out and running it along his cheek and forehead. A little warm and damp, but probably just from running.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Uh huh. Just hungry."  
  
The boys handed him the serving plates of food, and Shawn loaded his plate, but Jack noticed that he barely picked at his dinner. Obviously he was preoccupied.  
  
"Shawn?"  
  
Shawn started and looked up, and Jack thought the reaction was an almost guilty one.  
  
"Yeah Jack?"  
  
"You okay, buddy?"  
  
"I'm fine, Jack. Honest."  
  
"Are you feeling sick?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay." He wasn't going to get anything out of him, Jack decided. It was obvious that Shawn's thoughts were elsewhere, but if he didn't want to share, then Jack wasn't going to push.  
  
"Attention, Campers!"  
  
Jack looked up with everyone else, and saw that Gary had moved to stand in the middle of the room.  
  
"Tonight we're going to play another all camp game."  
  
There were general sounds of approval as the kids started chattering about the kickball game and the Capture the Flag game, wondering what kind they'd be playing next. Gary didn't make them wonder long. He waited until the sounds had died down a little, and then explained the game.  
  
"Tonight, once I release you from dinner, I want all the campers to go back to your cabins. Counselors, you won't be going with them. What you're going to do, is a soon as I tell you to, you're going to go hide in the woods. After we give you a little while to get good and hidden – and I don't mean lost – then I'm going to blow the horn again, and the campers will come find you. When you find a counselor, bring him or her to the gym, which will be base. Kind of like an odd version of Hide and Seek. Everyone knows how to play Hide and Seek, right?"  
  
Teal'c didn't have a clue. However, the game that Gary had described didn't seem all that complicated, so the Jaffa didn't bother to ask Jack or Daniel for an explanation. He just nodded with the others.  
  
Gary looked out the window and saw that it was getting close to twilight, meaning the sun would probably be down in half an hour or so, and darkness wouldn't be far from then. The Camp Director gestured to a box that was filled with flashlights and little whistles.  
  
"Campers, you'll each be carrying a flashlight, and a whistle. If for some reason, you get lost. Just sit still and blow your whistle and someone will come find you. Which means you don't blow your whistle unless you want someone to come find you, understand?"  
  
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Gary nodded, sure that there'd be no problems. They'd played this game before at other camps, after all, and had never lost a camper yet.  
  
"Counselors, pair up with another person, although you don't have to hide together, just close by. I don't want any of you getting lost, either." The campers laughed, knowing that none of their counselors would be dumb enough to get lost. "Finish eating, and we'll start the game when the dishes are cleared." 


	54. 54

Dinner was fairly noisy after that. The counselors were dodging questions from their kids, who were trying to get them to tell them where they were going to hide, and the kids were all bragging to each other about how many of the counselors they were going to find. The boys from China were no different.  
  
"I'll find Murray, first, then Daniel, then Jack."  
  
"Nah, Murray will be last to be found, I bet."  
  
"No, he's bigger than Jack and Daniel, so he don't hide as well."  
  
"That doesn't matter."  
  
"Does, too."  
  
Jack, Daniel and Teal'c didn't say anything. The girls from France were whispering to each other, and Daniel was fairly certain by the way they kept looking over at him that they were all discussing searching him out. He wondered how lost in the woods he could get before they wouldn't be able to find him. Jack noticed the girls all whispering, also, and was amused enough that he forgot about Shawn's odd behavior. He was just grateful he didn't have to put up with that. Better Daniel than him, that was for sure.  
  
"Carter? You want to team up with me?" Jack asked.  
  
"Unless you have other plans," Sam told him, smiling.  
  
The sky outside darkened as the last dishes were stacked and Andrew shoved the last slice of pie into his mouth. The campers were excused to their cabins, and the counselors mulled around the dining room for a little while longer, teaming up and deciding where they wanted to hide. Daniel had planned on teaming up with Teal'c, since he was pretty certain that none of the other counselors would approach the Jaffa and ask him if he wanted to be partners, but they were starting to warm up to him, and Tom, one of the fifth grade counselors walked over to Teal'c and asked if he wanted to pair up.  
  
Teal'c agreed, and seeing Daniel alone, one of the sixth grader counselors, a woman named Kelly, offered to partner with him. Jack had a feeling that Daniel would have preferred Sally as his partner, but she was paired with Jean, who would have gladly partnered with Jack if not for Sam. Which just made Jack that much more grateful for Sam's presence.  
  
"Everyone have a partner?" Gary returned to the dining room and handed out flashlights to the counselors. They weren't given whistles, since they all knew if they became disorientated that they only needed to walk south until they came to the road, and follow the road back to camp.  
  
There were murmurs of agreement, and the counselors were sent off to hide.  
  
Jack and Sam didn't need to discuss where they were going to hide. He simply nodded to the others, took her hand and led her up the hill and past the field and into the woods. The two of them moved silently through the trees for a short distance, then stopped behind a large boulder.  
  
"So... do I dare ask exactly what Daniel and I were supposed to be talking about this morning?" Jack asked softly when they'd stopped moving.  
  
Sam smiled, her face fairly easy to see in the bright moonlight. She leaned against the rock, feeling the cool of the stone on her back even through the fabric of her sweater.  
  
"He needed a break from the girls," she said, evasively.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"Carter."  
  
"And what did you talk about?"  
  
"Oh... the usual. My head, his hand, you sending us off to talk about absolutely nothing."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"It would have been easier for us to talk about whatever it was if you would have told us what to talk about."  
  
Sam shook her head; "You were supposed to ask him about Sally."  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"You did ask him, didn't you?" Suddenly she realized he was simply messing with her, and Sam grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I asked."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And he evaded the question. He's a lot better at that than I would have given him credit for."  
  
"Well, he's spent a lot of time around you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Are you going to kiss me?"  
  
Jack realized Sam was fairly good at evading questions as well. 


	55. 55

He did kiss her.  
  
They didn't do more than kiss, though, since the campers would be actively searching them out, and Jack and Sam neither one had any desire to be caught in a compromising position – especially by a child. So they held each other in the dark, kissing and simply enjoying what intimacy they could share while they waited for the horn to sound that would announce the campers had been released to come searching for them. For two people that had kept their feelings at bay for so long, even the simple touch they were sharing was more than enough.  
  
The horn sounded, and Jack grinned. He took Sam's hand and led her just a little deeper into the woods, into a dense area of trees and undergrowth.  
  
"There'd better not be any poison ivy," Carter complained as a branch snapped back and came very close to hitting her in the face.  
  
"If there was any poison ivy out here, you'd already know about it, Sam." Jack told her, reminding her of their evening in the brush during the capture the flag game.  
  
"Good point."  
  
O'Neill found a good, soft spot for them to sit in. One that would keep them from being silhouetted in the moonlight and make them easy to find. Jack was all for playing the game, but he wasn't going to make it easy on the campers if he could avoid it. He made himself comfortable, put an arm around Carter, and waited.  
  
~*~  
  
"Come on!" Andrew and Simon were rushing out of the cabin as soon as they heard the horn, followed closely by the other boys of China. They'd all been waiting eagerly, all anxious to get out there and find their counselors. Finding any of the counselors would be great, but of course, they were really intent on catching Daniel, Jack and Murray.  
  
"Shawn? You coming?" The last boy out of the cabin was surprised to see that Shawn was still sitting on his bunk.  
  
"Yeah, go on ahead, though. I'll be out in a minute."  
  
Shawn waited until he was sure none of the others were going to come back, then he slid something out from under his pillow, put it in his pocket and jumped off his bed. He was a little ashamed of himself for what he'd done, but excitement was building and as he walked to the door and past Jack's bunk, he pulled his shoulders back a little, and stuck his chest out. He was going to be like Jack.  
  
The youngster avoided the other campers once he made his way out into the dark of the night. He didn't take a flashlight or a whistle – in his excitement and nervousness, he'd forgotten both. His fingers touched the object in his pocket, and he pulled it out once he was certain that none of the others could see him. Then, stealthily, he made his way through the brush, pretending that he was an Air Force Colonel on a dangerous mission, searching through the woods for the enemy. The enemy that didn't actually had a face, since Shawn didn't actually fear anyone enough to make them into his unseen foe.  
  
He found a few of the other campers, but he avoided them still, veering off when he saw the light of flashlights and the boisterous noisy chatter and yells as they ran through the woods. He wasn't searching for any of the counselors. The absolute last thing Shawn wanted was to find a counselor. He was just using the excuse to be out alone in the woods as a chance to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Something he wasn't. But someone that he would be like some day. He even had the ultimate prop for that daydream, and he held it in front of him as he walked, moving it around like he'd seen on TV, turning his head every now and then when he heard a noise that he didn't recognize immediately.  
  
He was pretty deep in the woods, but he wasn't afraid. Jack wouldn't be afraid, and Shawn wasn't, either. Nothing was out here that he couldn't handle, after all. He made his way past a large boulder, and stepped on a branch, the noise sounding like a firecracker in the stillness of the forest. And still he moved on, the daring Air Force Seal seeking the elusive enemy.  
  
~~**~  
  
"Shh..." Jack heard the noise of someone approaching his hiding spot, and he grinned at Carter, who was sitting close to him. She had to admit she was hoping someone would find them soon. Not that she didn't enjoy the time with O'Neill, but her rear was getting cold, and her muscles were beginning to cramp from sitting so long in the same position. It would be nice to be captured and taken to the gym where she could get a cup of coffee. Of course, Jack was having none of that. He wanted to stay out as long as he could. The competitive side of him definitely taking over when it came to possibly being caught.  
  
Sam rolled her eyes, causing Jack to grin. He knew she was restless, and he had to admit that she was being a good sport. They could have been caught a long time ago if it weren't for him, he knew. He shrugged, telling her with a look that if she wanted them to be captured, he'd go along with it. They'd probably lasted as long as anyone. Maybe longer than everyone else. Who knew? That was all that mattered to him. He didn't want to be the first one caught.  
  
She nodded, and stood up, more than ready to stretch her legs. Taking the flashlight that Gary had given them, Sam stretched as she waited for the approaching person. Whoever it was was in for a treat, since he or she was going to have two counselors for the price of one capture. She and Jack hadn't separated like the other teams of counselors most likely had. Jack rolled his eyes and stood up as well, and heard whoever was approaching step on a branch. It was a loud crack. One that Jack would have never allowed if it had been him out searching the woods. Of course, he wasn't nine or ten, either.  
  
They stood in the dark; the moon behind a cloud and not giving off any illumination, and faintly saw the small form approach closer. Sam coughed to give him or her a slight warning, and then shined their flashlight on the figure. Who gasped in surprise and turned toward them, eyes wide even in the pale light. Carter shined the light on the person, and Jack stepped forward at the same instant, prepared to surrender to whoever it was. And in the beam of the flashlight, he came to a sudden stop, no more than three feet away from the boy. It was Shawn. A stunned looking Shawn, his hand thrown forward at the light and the motion, and Jack found himself staring down the dark barrel of his own gun. 


	56. 56

Author's note: Okay, I knew I'd get some feedback on this (because I was obscure – on purpose – and didn't exactly explain where the gun came from. Although it'll come out in detail in the story as Shawn explains it) Have faith in me, guys, I know my SG-1. Jack wouldn't have dreamed of leaving a gun in his bag. Who would bring a gun to a kid camp and leave it out where anyone could get it? Definitely not Jack. Jack would, however, carry a gun in his truck – even on vacation – because it's been done in an episode. (The one where he goes fishing and everyone is seeing those creatures that are in the other dimension; he pulled a gun out of his truck when he was at the gas station) I didn't put that Shawn pulled the gun from Jack's bag, and if you go back and reread it, you'll never see that. There's 15 – 20 minutes in the time between the boys getting to the cafeteria without Shawn and the time when Shawn shows up breathless. I am sorry about the cliffhanger, but I'm not going to take forever to update (I never do) so I figured you'd all be okay. I suppose I could change it to drama/humor, but I'm going to leave it as it is and hopefully if someone gets sucked in thinking it's going to be funny they'll at least have a few laughs before they start getting to the serious part. Thank you all for your feedback! I'm glad you're reading it; I hope you continue to enjoy it.  
  
*~*~~~*  
  
Daniel was thoroughly enjoying himself. Kelly was one of Switzerland's counselors and was probably a match for Jack and Teal'c when it came to hiding in the forest. She told him as they went up the hill on their way to find a spot that she was a volunteer firefighter. Forest fires only, she told him, and he was astounded to hear that she and her team jumped out of airplanes and into the middle of the big fires to fight them from the inside. She knew her way around the woods; she told Daniel with a smile, but only if they were on fire.  
  
Her skill belied that, though. She didn't make any noise as she and Daniel walked into the brush, and Daniel – who had plenty of experience walking in trees – was impressed by the fact that she never sent a branch back to slap him in the face accidentally. She always made sure to make sure he knew one was being bent back so he could avoid it. It was something Jack did for his team – when he wasn't goofing off and trying to hit Daniel on purpose, that is.  
  
They found a good spot to hide, and crouched down in the brush, where they talked about small things until they heard the horn blow. After that, it was simply a matter of keeping their heads down and being silent as the campers ran full tilt through the woods around them, screaming and yelling and occasionally whooping with triumph when one of them found a counselor.  
  
There were a few whistles blown, meaning that the kids were either goofing off with the whistles, or a couple had actually become turned around and needed to be found, but there weren't too many, and Gary and his staff were supposed to be taking care of them, so Daniel and Kelly stayed put.  
  
They would have been there all night, Daniel was certain of it, if not for sheer dumb luck. The Switzerland girls had gone out in a pack and one of them thought they heard something. It didn't help that the UK boys had spent the entire camp telling the girls that the woods were full of bears and tigers. Even though the girls didn't REALLY believe them, there were a few nervous ones, and once one girl thought she'd heard something, they all started hearing noises as well. Finally, one of the boys had snuck up on them, and had started rustling branches and making growling noises, and the girls had bolted. The wrong way. One of them had actually run right over Daniel, tangling with him, and the two went down in a heap.  
  
"Are you all right?" Daniel asked, hoping the girl hadn't brained herself with his cast.  
  
She giggled. That odd nervous giggle you do when you were terrified one moment and trying to pretend that you weren't the next.  
  
"I'm okay. Did you hurt your hand again?"  
  
The girls were shining their flashlights, now, and were beginning to crow about having caught two counselors. AND one of their own! They shrieked and bragged, mountain lions and bears completely forgotten as they led their captured counselors back to the camp. (Actually Kelly and Daniel led the way, since the girls weren't entirely sure which way was which after their stampede through the woods.  
  
When they reached the gym, Daniel was surprised to see that Teal'c was already there. He'd assumed that Teal'c would be the last one captured. Actually, he'd expected that Teal'c would end up spending the entire evening outside, since none of the kids would have had a chance to find him. Obviously, Teal'c had assumed that as well. He didn't look pleased.  
  
"Tom is not experienced at concealment," Teal'c said when Daniel pulled him aside and asked how he'd been captured. "He would not listen when I attempted to explain the principals of camouflage and stillness. And he would not listen when I explained the need for silence. He wanted to talk the entire time. Questions that he has no need to ask, and I have no desire to answer. The campers found us immediately."  
  
Wondering what Tom had asked Teal'c about, Daniel let it slide. The big Jaffa was about as grumpy as Daniel had ever seen him. Surly and moody to a point that the other counselors who'd been caught had noticed, ad were steering well clear of him. Tom was going one further. He was standing on the exact opposite end of the gym from Teal'c, as though he was well aware of hi transgressions.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Teal'c," Daniel consoled, slapping his shoulder with his hand. "We don't have to worry about getting ants in our pants, or ticks in our hair."  
  
"I was not worried about ants or ticks, DanielJackson," Teal'c informed him, sullenly.  
  
"No... of course you weren't," Daniel said, trying to come up with something better. He drew a blank, knowing full well how competitive Teal'c was, and how much pride he held in his abilities.  
  
"At least Jack and Sam are still on the loose."  
  
"Indeed." 


	57. 57 This one is PG13

"Jack."  
  
O'Neill knew without conscious thought that the gun was his own. How many times had he held the weapon that the little boy was holding? How many times had it saved his life when it was all he had to fall back on when he'd run out of ammo for the other weapons? He knew.  
  
The man in him froze as a flash of memory came. A different boy. A different weapon. A gunshot that broke through the stillness of a quiet summer day. Fear, then sorrow, then a dead emptiness. The man saw it happening again, as though he were living those painful months all over again in an instant, and felt fear.  
  
The soldier acted instantly, instinctively, long before the man had a chance to. Far quicker than Jack could have just then. Far more rapidly than Sam, who was equally frozen. The soldier knew that the boy wasn't an instant threat. Instinct that had saved Jack from the Gou'ld - and worse - countless times stepped in and moved the man when he couldn't move on his own. His hand snapped out, grabbing the weapon from the boy's limp grip and jerking it away with a force that would leave a long lasting mark on the finger that had been caught in the trigger guard.  
  
The soldier started to turn the gun on the boy, an automatic reaction to such a confrontation, but then the man stepped in and took control once more. Nominal control, anyways. The fear had turned to anger and disbelief so quickly that only Shawn had actually seen it in Jack's eyes, and he was so stunned he didn't recognize it for what it was.  
  
Jack looked down at the weapon in his hand, staring it at as though he'd never seen it before.  
  
"I'm sorry!" The voice was high-pitched, and terrified. Not as terrified as Jack had been, though. His lightening quick temper took control.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
The shout was filled with rage, and it shook Sam out of her instant paralysis. She'd never heard him so angry. Had never heard the loathing in his voice that she heard just then. She didn't know if it was directed at Shawn or at himself, but there was no denying that O'Neill was as close to losing control as Carter had ever seen him.  
  
"Sir!" It was an automatic reaction of her own. She immediately switched from lover to fellow soldier, knowing instinctively that as his lover she had absolutely no chance of stopping him from doing anything he'd regret later. The fellow soldier might remind him of the discipline that she needed him to fall back on so desperately just then.  
  
"SHUT UP, CARTER!"  
  
He knew what she was doing, and wasn't going to be placated. Would never be placated. He took a step to the boy, gripping the barrel of his pistol so tightly that his entire fingers were white and not just his knuckles. Shawn was too shocked to move. Both by the surprise of finding Jack, and by the fury he saw on O'Neill's very pale face. He turned his full attention and anger back on the boy.  
  
"WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?"  
  
"I-I-"Shawn couldn't have answered him if he wanted to. He had made a terrible mistake, and was paying the worst price ever as far as he knew. Jack hated him. There was absolutely no doubt in the little boy's mind that Jack hated him more than he'd ever hate anything.  
  
Jack wasn't waiting for an answer.  
  
"WHERE!"  
  
The shout was louder than the last, and Shawn flinched from the fury even as Carter stepped between Jack and the boy.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
Shawn had had enough. He bolted. Ran from the hate in his hero's eyes, and the hate in his voice. Ran as fast as he could, trying to flee a mistake that couldn't be undone, no matter how much he wanted it to be. He crashed through the woods, running blindly as tears started to fall, and didn't stop, even when he heard Carter call his name.  
  
"Shawn!" Carter watched as the boy took off, understanding completely why he was running, but afraid he'd hurt himself in his headlong flight. Very few men would have been able to stand firm under the anger in O'Neill's voice, and definitely not one little boy. Shawn didn't stop, though, and he didn't look back. She heard the brush cracking underfoot as he ran further away.  
  
She turned back to look at O'Neill, who was watching the boy run as well, the fury still very much alive in the firm set of his features. Sam had never seen him so angry. She reached for the weapon, but he jerked his hand away before she even came close.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Go find him, Carter, before he hurts himself." The rage in his voice wasn't even enough to veil the irony of that statement.  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"Keep him away from me."  
  
He stalked off into the night, his gun firmly in his hand, and his temper barely under control.  
  
~**~  
  
Carter watched him go, still stunned by sudden turn of events. This was absolutely the last thing she would have expected, and she knew it couldn't have been worse. She wanted to go to Jack. She knew he'd need to talk, eventually. Once the anger that consumed him burned out and he was rational again. But she also knew, as Jack had pointed out even in his fury, that Shawn needed to be dealt with and O'Neill wasn't the one to do it. He was the last one to do it.  
  
She sighed, and headed off toward the direction she'd last seen Shawn running, hoping that he wouldn't go too far, and that she'd be able to find him in the dark. 


	58. 58

As it turned out, Sam didn't have to go all that far. The boy had run like a terrified rabbit, but he'd tangled himself up in some undergrowth only about four hundred yards from their original position, and had fallen hard. Hurting far more inside than he was outside, Shawn had stayed where he was, unable to get up. Unable to do anything but sob uncontrollably.  
  
It was the tears that led Sam to him. He was a little boy and was so hurt by what he'd done and the hate that Jack had for him that he couldn't have kept his hurt to himself. Sam followed the crying until she at last came to him, lying full out facedown in the middle of a tangle of weeds, and crying as though his heart was broken completely in two.  
  
"Shawn?"  
  
"Go away!" The words were a mere croak through a throat closed with more lumps than imaginable.  
  
Carter came closer. Shining the flashlight along his body, she looked for any sign of broken bones or injury, but his limbs seemed to be all intact. She came over and sat down next to him, not touching him, but close enough that she could feel his body heaving with the sobs that were tearing at him.  
  
"He hates me," Shawn wailed, realizing that O'Neill wasn't with her. Not that he expected him to be. Shawn knew Jack wouldn't care if he were dead or alive. He hated Shawn.  
  
"No, he doesn't," Sam said softly.  
  
"Yes, he does. You saw him yell. He hates me." This produced another round of sobbing, and this time Sam couldn't stop from pulling him into her arms. He was hurting so badly, and he didn't even understand why.  
  
"You scared him, Shawn. That's why he yelled. Not because he hates you. Some people, when they get scared, the fear turns to anger."  
  
"I didn't mean to point the gun at-"  
  
"That isn't what scared him." Sam tucked Shawn's head under her chin and gathered the boy even tighter into her arms, feeling his tears drenching her neck immediately. "Jack isn't afraid of being shot. He knows you'd never shoot him." She shook her head. "What were you thinking?"  
  
"I-I just wanted to... to be like him. I wanted him to like me." He whimpered again a he remembered the anger in O'Neill's voice and face. "Now he hates me and I'll never-"  
  
"He doesn't hate you."  
  
"Yes, he does. You heard him."  
  
"No one likes to be scared, Shawn," Carter told him, running her fingers through his hair as she pressed his cheek closer to her and started rocking him in an attempt to soothe him a little.  
  
"If he wasn't afraid to be shot, why was he scared?" the boy asked, confused. He was holding Sam tightly, certain that she was as close as he'd ever get to Jack again. Suddenly Shawn wished his parents would come get him right then, and take him home. Then he wouldn't have to watch Jack be with the other boys and not want to be with him. The thought hurt, and he moaned softly into Sam's shirt.  
  
"You scared him," Sam repeated. "He was afraid for you."  
  
"I was holding the gun," the boy told her, confused. "I couldn't get hurt."  
  
Carter sighed inwardly, unsure what she should tell the boy, and wondering if Jack would forgive her if she told Shawn about Charlie. Feeling the wracking sobs, though, Sam knew that Shawn needed to be told. He needed to understand why Jack had turned on him so utterly and ruthlessly.  
  
"Shawn, listen to me, okay?" She shifted into a more comfortable position, and pulled him up a little, so she'd know she had his full attention. He was quiet, and she had to take that as meaning that he was going to do as she told him and listen.  
  
"Jack had a son. A long time ago. He was about your age."  
  
"What was his name?"  
  
"Charlie."  
  
She felt him nod, and continued. "Charlie got hold of Jack's gun one day, just like you did."  
  
"And Jack yelled at him?"  
  
Sam shook her head, tears in her eyes at the memory of the few times Jack had ever allowed her to witness the sorrow he felt at the loss of his son.  
  
"No. He didn't know about it. Not until it was too late. There was an accident, and Charlie shot himself."  
  
"Was he okay?" Shawn asked, looking up at Sam. He could tell the answer by the tears in her eyes.  
  
"No, honey. He died."  
  
"Did Jack cry?"  
  
Sam nodded, stroking her fingers through Shawn's hair.  
  
"He thought it was his fault, Shawn. He blamed himself because it was his gun."  
  
"He didn't give it to him, though."  
  
"I know. It took him a long time to stop blaming himself. I think he still does, though, sometimes." Sam was quiet for a moment, to let that sink in. It was a lot for a little boy to try to understand. Even one that was smart, like Shawn was.  
  
"Why was he afraid, though?" Shawn finally asked in a small voice.  
  
"He saw you with his gun, and was afraid it might happen again."  
  
"I wouldn't-"  
  
"Charlie wasn't planning on hurting himself, love." Sam interrupted. "Accidents happen when people who don't know how to use a gun get their hands on them. You don't understand how easily you could have hurt yourself. But Jack does. Because he's seen it done. It scared him."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Jack won't forgive me. He hates me."  
  
"He's angry. When he cools down, he might. He loves you very much, you know?"  
  
Shawn shook his head. "Not anymore."  
  
"You can't stop loving someone just because they do something you don't like," Sam told him, hoping it was true. O'Neill could hold a grudge longer than anyone she knew. But she had to hope that he wouldn't hold one against Shawn. The boy was so good for Jack. And vice versa.  
  
"What do I do, Sam?" Shawn asked her in a small voice.  
  
"Nothing, yet. Let him cool off, and get over his fright, then we'll see what we can do." She gave him a hug, holding him close, then kissed his cheek softly.  
  
"We should get back to camp, Shawn. I want to talk to Daniel and Te- Murray."  
  
Shawn nodded, and stood up, wiping his eyes as she stood up, too, and taking her hand.  
  
One down, one to go, Sam thought grimly to herself. 


	59. 59

Sam looked inside China when they passed the cabin, hoping – but not really expecting – to find Jack in there. He wasn't there, however, and Sam knelt down in front of Shawn.  
  
"I want you to wait here, Shawn, while I go talk to Daniel and Murray." His face was smeared with dirt and tears, and his clothes were very dirty. "You wash your face and change your clothes, and I'll be back." She gave him as confident a smile as she could, "It'll be okay."  
  
He wasn't so sure, and Sam saw fresh tears trickling down his cheek, which he brushed away with the back of his grubby hand, leaving yet another smear. Carter reached out and touched his cheek.  
  
"Don't give up on him just yet, okay?"  
  
Shawn nodded wordlessly, and Sam watched as he turned and found his bag, searching for something clean to wear. Then, once he went into the bathroom, she left the cabin, closing the door silently behind her and heading down the hill, waving at the kids that were rushing past her, but not stopping to talk.  
  
Daniel was in the gym, as was Teal'c, and Sam walked in and straight to the two. She pulled them both to the side, and quietly explained what had happened as the kids and counselors that had been found milled around the gym, chattering excitedly and bragging about whom they'd found.  
  
"He did WHAT?" Daniel's shocked voice echoed through the gym, and everyone turned towards him in surprise. The archeologist flushed, and mumbled an apology. "What was he thinking? Oh, God, Jack can't be happy." That had to be the understatement of a lifetime.  
  
"He's furious," Sam confirmed. "I've never seen him angrier."  
  
"I can imagine. Where's Shawn?"  
  
"He's in the cabin getting cleaned up. I told him to wait there."  
  
"That's a good place for him," Daniel agreed, his mind flashing through ideas, although none of them were very helpful.  
  
The majority of the boys from China picked that moment to come rushing into the gym, and made a beeline for Sam, Teal'c and Daniel, happily unaware that anything was wrong.  
  
"Who found you, Murray?"  
  
"Hi, Sam! Where's Jack?"  
  
"Wow! I can't believe someone found you, Murray!"  
  
"Who did you hide with, Daniel?"  
  
"Simon found one of the counselors from Morocco!"  
  
The boys clamored to all be heard at once, and Sam helplessly looked at Daniel for suggestion.  
  
"I'll go find him," Daniel said. He didn't know what he'd do, but someone had to, and Sam had already dealt with Shawn, and it wasn't fair to make her face Jack as well. Besides, Daniel knew that Jack could bully Sam with rank if he was of a mind to, and the Colonel didn't have that kind of control over Daniel. He could shoot him, but he couldn't order him to do anything.  
  
Sam nodded, and so did Teal'c, who was slightly distracted by the boys talking to him all at once. The big Jaffa knew he wasn't the choice to go talk to O'Neill, and accepted that. He was extremely loyal to Jack, and would do anything for him, but he could do more good controlling the boisterous boys while Daniel went to find the Colonel, and they both knew it.  
  
"I shall remain with the campers, and finish the activities."  
  
"I'll help you, Murray." Sam said, smiling gratefully at Daniel.  
  
"Wish me luck."  
  
Daniel turned to go, and Sam saw that a few of the girls from France were starting to follow him. She called them back, much to their disappointment, and waved the rest of her girls over as well. Jean and Sally weren't in the gym, which meant that she was going to have to keep track of her girls while she helped Teal'c watch his boys. No difficult task, since the two cabins were used to hanging out together, thanks to Jack's basketball game earlier that week.  
  
"Where's Daniel going, Sam?" Asked one of the girls.  
  
"He's going to go take care of some things," Sam answered evasively. "Don't worry, he'll be back." Hopefully with good news.  
  
Author's note: Jack's next, I promise! 


	60. 60

O'Neill was furious. Absolutely as angry as he'd ever remembered being in his life. It was a cold rage that seemed only to grow as the Colonel walked out of the woods and towards the little cabin that he'd become so fond of in the last few days. What the HELL had the boy been thinking? He slid his gun into the waist of his jeans as he came to the clearing that the cabin stood on the edge of, knowing – even as furious as he was – that he didn't want any of the kids to see him walking around waving a gun. The cabin was dark, and that only made Jack angrier, for no reason at all.  
  
He threw the door open, and reached under his bunk, pulling his bag out and rummaging around in it, looking for the keys to his truck. They'd been in the pocket of his jeans. He'd used them last to get face paint the night they'd played Capture the Flag. And he'd just left them in the jeans when he'd changed that night. But they weren't in that pocket, anymore. They were sitting at the bottom of his bag. A part of him – the very small part that wasn't mindlessly fuming – told him this was important. But at the moment, Jack didn't care. He snatched the keys up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard the windows all rattled.  
  
No one spotted him as he went down the hill towards the parking lot that was off to the side of the main building. Which was all to the good, since Jack wasn't in the right mindset for company.  
  
When they'd arrived at the camp, they'd been the last of the counselors to show up, and Jack had been forced to take the parking spot at the very end of the lot. This put his truck in almost complete darkness now, since the lone street lamp that lit up the lot was on the other end, but Jack didn't need light. He walked over and unlocked his truck, opened the door and reached underneath the seat. The leather holster that normally held his Beretta wasn't there. Swearing, Jack searched the cab of his truck, and found what he was looking for on the floor by the passenger seat.  
  
He climbed into the truck, sliding behind the wheel and reaching down to pick up the holster. Pulling his gun out of his pants, Jack stared at the weapon in the faint glow of the dome light. The anger that had sustained him this far drained out of him as his mind replayed one scene over and over.  
  
A little hand holding a weapon it had no business going anywhere near. A little hand. A hand that was so young and innocent, one that didn't even understand the deadly force of the weapon. A simple mistake that could have cost so much. Like the one Charlie had made so many years ago. Years. It only seemed like days to Jack just then, the memories were so clear and fresh in his mind.  
  
Jack didn't even realize he was crying until a tear fell on the barrel of the gun. He'd been so terrified when he saw that little hand holding the gun. So afraid that what had happened to Charlie was going to happen again. He hadn't even considered that the boy could have shot him. That would have been the least that could have happened. Jack would have much preferred that he, himself, get shot than have something happen to Shawn. He couldn't have lived with himself if something had happened. He'd had so much trouble living with himself after Charlie...  
  
A sob echoed through the cab of the truck, and Jack didn't try to stop it. He couldn't have. No more than he could control the furious anger that had swelled within him earlier. He broke down as he reflected on the day he lost his son. A memory that was triggered so forcefully by the events of the night that he could even remember the smell of the air, and the feel of the light breeze that had been rustling through his clothing that day. And he remembered the sound of the shot that had rang out. The shot went through his mind over and over again, ending the life of the one person he'd loved most of all. His boy.  
  
Jack crossed his arms over the steering wheel and sobbed into them, his shoulders shaking as the anger turned to sorrow, and the sorrow to a profound grief that had been thought to have been long buried, but was still as fresh as ever. God, he missed his son. Missed him so much. He was all that was good in Jack, and none of what wasn't. Sunny and cheerful, no matter what the world threw at him. The hope for the future. And gone forever because of one mistake. A mistake that could have so easily been repeated that night. Another sob, a heart wrenching sound of loss, and Jack broke down completely.  
  
~*~  
  
That was where Daniel found him. It was pure luck. The archeologist had come out of the gym and was walking up the hill on the far side of the main building, trying to figure out where he might find O'Neill and he'd just happened to see the very faint light from the dome light of Jack's truck. He'd gone to investigate, and was only slightly surprised to see Jack leaning against his steering wheel, his head buried in his arms.  
  
Jack vaguely heard the passenger door open and felt, rather than saw, someone sit down in the passenger seat next to him. The tears had stopped by then, but they'd left in their wake a terrible emptiness that Jack knew was just as potentially deadly as the anger he'd felt before. It was so easy to fall into that emptiness, he knew. And so tempting. Jack knew that there was no pain in that emptiness. But there wasn't anything else there, either. He'd been there, he knew. There was no pain, or love, or joy, or anything.  
  
"Sam told me what happened."  
  
He turned his head without lifting it from his arms, and looked over and saw Daniel.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Daniel nodded, and Jack could see concern in his friend's expression. Daniel knew Jack as well, if not better, than anyone else. He'd been around Jack when O'Neill was dealing with the loss of Charlie, and he remembered the haunted look in the Colonel's eyes from back then. A haunted look that was there once more.  
  
"I can't imagine what you're feeling right now," Daniel said, softly. "I know it hurts, though." He'd lost his wife. He knew what pain was. It wasn't the exact same thing, but it was probably pretty close.  
  
"It's killing me, Daniel," Jack said, softly, surprising Daniel. O'Neill raised his head, and then raised his right hand, which still held the Beretta. "He could have killed himself, and he doesn't even know it."  
  
"He's a little boy. They do dumb things."  
  
"But they're not supposed to die from them."  
  
"No."  
  
The two men were silent for a long time, each thinking of their own demons.  
  
"He's a lot like Charlie was." Jack finally said, still staring at the gun in his hand.  
  
"I know, Jack. He's a good kid."  
  
Jack nodded. "Yeah, he is."  
  
They were quiet again, and the horn sounded, telling them that the campers were being sent off to bed. Daniel wondered how long he and Jack had been sitting there in the dark truck. He wasn't in any hurry to go anywhere, though. Jack was talking – more or less – which was more than Daniel had expected.  
  
"I was so afraid when I saw him with this," Jack said. "I just knew it was going-"  
  
"It didn't," Daniel interrupted, putting his hand on O'Neill's shoulder.  
  
"It could have."  
  
"Yes. But it didn't."  
  
"No. It didn't."  
  
They were silent as the sounds of the camp died away completely, and lights started going out in the main building as the staff closed it down for the night. Daniel squeezed Jack's shoulder companionably, and after a little while, Jack slid the gun into the holster that was sitting on the dash.  
  
"You'd better go help Teal'c get the kids settled, Daniel."  
  
"Are you coming?"  
  
"Eventually."  
  
"Are you going to be all right?"  
  
"Eventually."  
  
Daniel nodded, and opened the passenger door.  
  
"Hey, Daniel?"  
  
He turned, looking back at Jack.  
  
"Thanks for the talk."  
  
"Any time, Jack."  
  
Feeling as though he'd actually accomplished something, Daniel got out of the truck, shut the door behind him, and headed across the parking lot and up the hill without a backwards glance. 


	61. 61

As it turned out, Teal'c didn't need any help with the boys. Carter had told Jean and Sally that Daniel and Jack were off talking, and had told them she was going to go make sure Murray didn't have any trouble with the China boys since he was alone with them all. So she'd spent the evening in their cabin, sitting cross-legged on Jack's bunk chatting with the boys while Teal'c got them all ready for bed.  
  
The boys didn't understand exactly why Sam was there and Daniel and Jack weren't, but they all liked Carter, so they didn't resent the intrusion. They did, however, shyly take their pajamas into the bathroom to change into them, which just made Sam smile. Shawn was glad Sam was there, too. The boy was quiet for the most part, and there was a slightly haunted look in his dark eyes that made Sam want to hold him and cuddle him and reassure him that the world wasn't going to end for him. She didn't, though, since the other boys would have wondered what was wrong. Shawn didn't want them to know, and Sam respected his wishes. She did, however, smile at him as encouragingly as she could muster, and when she went around and told the boys goodnight, she pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.  
  
"It'll be okay," she whispered as she pulled the blankets up to his chin. He didn't reply, but Sam saw a lone tear trickle down his cheek. She wiped it away tenderly, and resisted the urge to pull him out of bed and hug him.  
  
"He's not back, yet," Shawn whispered. "What if he left?"  
  
"He didn't." She ran her fingers through his dark hair, trying to comfort him. "You'll see. Try to get some sleep, okay?"  
  
He nodded, and Sam looked over at Teal'c, who wasn't ready for bed yet.  
  
"Come sit outside with me, Murray?" She asked.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
They sat on the bench under the China porch light and waited to hear from Daniel. Neither of them spoke much, mainly because there wasn't anything to say, but also because they didn't want to keep the boys awake.  
  
It was about an hour or so later that they saw a form moving in the light of the main building's porch lights. The form walked up the hill from the general area of the parking lot, and when it moved closer they saw it was, indeed, Daniel. He came up to them and sat heavily down on the bench next to Sam, who put her arm around his shoulder. He looked like he could use some support.  
  
"Did you locate Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And?" This was from Sam, who wasn't feeling very hopeful. Daniel looked and sounded worn out.  
  
"We talked. Well... a little. I think he'll be okay, though. He just got a nasty shock."  
  
"Did he ever."  
  
"I'm going to go to bed."  
  
"As am I."  
  
"Is he coming back?"  
  
"Eventually. I think he wants a little more time to think."  
  
"You mean brood."  
  
"Yeah, probably. But this time, I think he needs it. Just don't send one of your girls down after him, okay? It's one thing if he's grumpy, but this isn't the same."  
  
"I know, Daniel. I won't." Besides, they were all asleep.  
  
Sam stood up, "Bed sounds like a good idea. I'll see you both in the morning."  
  
"Good night, Sam."  
  
"Good night, MajorCarter."  
  
Daniel and Teal'c walked into China silently, but Shawn had been awake, and sat up in his bunk, his dark eyes shining in the glow of the porch light.  
  
"Did you find him?" He whispered to Daniel as the archeologist passed his bed.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Is he mad?"  
  
"No." Daniel walked over to Shawn's bed to keep from waking the other boys. He hadn't seen Shawn, but Sam had told him the boy was upset, and it was obvious that he was, if he was still awake and sitting in the dark.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"Down in the parking lot."  
  
"He's leaving, isn't he?"  
  
"No, why would you think that?" Daniel asked, truly confused by the question.  
  
"He hates me. I'd want to leave, if I was him."  
  
"He doesn't hate you."  
  
"He yelled at me," Shawn told Daniel softly.  
  
"He yells at me all the time."  
  
"This is different."  
  
"Shawn, go to sleep. When morning comes, you'll see that things aren't as bad as you think they are."  
  
Things were as bad as he thought they were, and Shawn knew it. Otherwise Jack would be in the cabin. He probably didn't want to see Shawn ever again, and Sam and Daniel were just trying to make him feel better by saying Jack wasn't mad. Shawn laid his head back on the pillow, but he didn't go to sleep. Murray and Daniel eventually fell asleep, but Shawn lay wide awake, listening for Jack to return, hoping without any real hope that Jack was going to come and give him a chance to apologize. 


	62. 62

O'Neill wasn't brooding. Well, yes, he was brooding, but he wasn't brooding about anything in particular. He was just... thinking. He wasn't ready to go to bed, and lacking the roof of his house or his deck – which were his normal favorite places to go and sit and think – he'd settled for the boat dock. The cab of his truck was okay and all, but it was a little stuffy after a while, and he wanted to be outside. He slid his gun under the seat, and made sure the doors were locked, then slid his keys into his pocket and walked down to the edge of the water.  
  
The night was fairly nice, and Jack gathered a double handful of small rocks and carried them out to the boat dock. If he was going to stand next to water, and he wasn't holding a pole, he might as well throw rocks.  
  
He thought about a lot of things as he stood there, occasionally throwing a stone into the still water, and watching the moon's reflection on the surface get wrinkled with the little ripples the rocks made. He thought about Charlie, mostly, and how much he missed him. Thought about how happy his boy had been. O'Neill was careful not to allow himself to dwell on the painful fact that his son wasn't ever coming back. Instead, he focused on how much fun he and Charlie had had together. The same kind of fun that he and Shawn had.  
  
This naturally led his thoughts to Shawn, which caused a brief spark of irritation to run through O'Neill. Stupid kid! What had he done that for? Was he out of his mind? Playing with a gun like that, it was insane. Stupid. Dumb. Foolish. Of course, what had Daniel said? Kids do stupid things. That was true, and Jack knew it. He just hadn't been expecting something quite so foolish. Or extreme.  
  
Next, Jack's thoughts went to Carter, and how he'd yelled at her. That hadn't been personal, and he wasn't sure how he was going to explain himself to her. He'd been incredibly short with her, and the change in their relationship was so new that Jack wasn't sure if it would survive him at his worst. He'd have to figure out a way to make it up to her, he knew. He couldn't lose what they had before they'd even had a chance to see if it would work out. He'd just have to hope that Sam was more understanding than he was.  
  
The thoughts of their relationship turned Jack's mind to the SGC, and he purposely avoided trying to figure out how he and Sam would be able to carry on their relationship once they got back. They'd figure out something, that was all there was to it. His mind went off world for a while as he dwelled on the possibility that Jacob wouldn't approve of his daughter sleeping with Jack. Which was possible. Of course, they didn't have to tell Jacob. At least no time soon. He wasn't planning on telling anyone else anytime soon. Then the first to know would be General Hammond. Oh, wouldn't that be fun? As the night turned into late night, and then very early morning, and the stars changed their course in the clear sky above him, Jack dwelled on every possible scenario of every possible conversation that he could have with Hammond, eventually.  
  
"J-Jack?"  
  
Shawn had stayed in bed forever. Listening for a sound outside the door that told him O'Neill was back. Listening for the sound of a truck driving down the road that would tell him O'Neill was gone. Neither had happened. The rest of the boys slept on, oblivious to the fact that Shawn was about as miserable as he could be. And restless with fear and worry. Maybe Jack had already left and Daniel hadn't told him? That would explain why the he hadn't heard the truck. It was already gone! Maybe Daniel was just trying to keep him from being hurt. It didn't matter, Shawn knew. Nothing could hurt him any more than he already was. Finally, he'd slid silently out of his bed, and out the door. He had to know if Jack was gone. He had to.  
  
Teal'c watched the boy leave the cabin. Nothing moved in the cabin at night without the big Jaffa knowing about it, and even as he slept he was listening for sounds that didn't belong. He'd known that Shawn was awake, and had almost been tempted to try and comfort him, but he hadn't. Carter and Daniel had both tried, and Teal'c knew that nothing he could add would alleviate the boy's worry. He'd been almost glad when the boy had finally decided to do something. If Shawn wanted to go and seek out O'Neill, then he needed to, and Teal'c didn't try to call him back.  
  
Shawn had immediately broken into a run, and had sprinted barefoot and silently down to the parking lot, afraid that Jack's truck would be gone. He'd felt a huge relief when he saw the dark rig sitting there, and then stopped to catch his breath and tried to figure out what to do next. Jack wasn't gone. But he wasn't at the cabin, and he didn't want to see Shawn, anyways. Shawn NEEDED to see Jack, however. He needed to say he was sorry, man-to-man. He'd done wrong, and he wanted Jack to know that he wouldn't do it again. He started looking for his counselor, first in the cafeteria, which was dark and spooky, then in the gym, which was big, dark and spooky, then outside. The boat dock and the swimming dock had been his first thought, and Shawn hesitated once he saw that Jack was on the boat dock.  
  
Suddenly saying he was sorry just wasn't enough. Jack wouldn't accept that. He was being stupid to think he and O'Neill were ever going to be friends again. And then there was the fear. The actual fear that Jack would turn on him, again. That he'd yell and curse, and send Shawn away. If he did, Shawn knew he deserved it. But it wouldn't hurt any less for that. The boy wasn't sure he could set himself up for that. Not willingly. But he did it anyways. Stepping quietly along the shore of the lake, he walked to the edge of the boat dock, and stood watching as his hero tossed a rock into the water, obviously deep in thought. It had taken everything Shawn had in him to call his name. And even then, he'd stuttered.  
  
O'Neill turned his head at the sound of his name being called. He wasn't startled. He hadn't heard anyone approaching, but a full evening of contemplation will calm you out enough that nothing can startle you, and Jack was as mellowed out as he'd ever been. He looked and saw that Shawn was standing at the edge of the dock, dressed in pajamas and nothing else. Not even shoes. The moon was going down and losing its brightness, so Jack couldn't get a good look at the boy's face, but there was no missing the uncertainty in his voice.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" He asked.  
  
"L-looking for... for you." Shawn was so tense that Jack had to wonder if the boy was afraid he was going to hit him. The thought made Jack sick and angry. But only at himself.  
  
"You should go to bed. It's late. Do Murray or Daniel know you're here?" Neither would have let him out this late – early? Jack was certain.  
  
"I snuck out."  
  
"You're good at that, I see." The words were spiteful, and Jack winced as soon as he said them. Shawn wasn't a devious kid and Jack knew it. He'd just made a mistake. Kids make mistakes. Right?  
  
"I'm sorry." Shawn was near tears, and he hurried the words out before he could lose control once more. He'd come to tell Jack he was sorry, and he was going to. Even though it was obvious that Jack was still mad, and wasn't going to not be mad any time soon. "I just wanted you to know." He turned and started back to the cabin, defeated.  
  
Jack knew. He sighed and rubbed his face tiredly, ignoring the aches from bruises that didn't matter as much as the hurt he'd just caused so cruelly. With words he didn't mean. Colonels made mistakes, too.  
  
"Shawn?"  
  
The boy turned his head.  
  
"Come here for a minute, Shawn. We need to talk." 


	63. 63

Shawn nodded, and walked out onto the boat dock warily. Jack waited for him to reach him, and then decided that he didn't like looming over the boy, and he sat down, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them as he looked up at the boy. That was a little better.  
  
"How did you get my gun?"  
  
"I went to your truck."  
  
"I know that," Jack said, sharper than he intended to, and when Shawn flinched, Jack winced. He tried again. "Why did you go to my truck?" He couldn't have known there was a gun in it. Jack had never mentioned it, and he was certain none of SG-1 had told the boys he had a gun under his seat.  
  
"I made you something," Shawn said, softly, looking down at his dirty feet and nowhere else. "I was going to leave it in your bag for you to find later, but when I felt your keys, I decided I'd hang it off your mirror or something to make sure you found it. So I took them."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I dropped it on the floor of your cab, and when I leaned down to get it, I saw the gun."  
  
"And took it."  
  
Shawn nodded, silently.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"WHY?"  
  
Shawn jumped. "Because it was yours! Because I wanted to be like you! I'm sorry, Jack. I know it was wrong. I knew it was wrong and I did it anyways. I would have returned it, I swear. I just wanted to... to..." He trailed off, brushing away tears that had come before he could stop them.  
  
"To be like me..." Jack finished.  
  
Shawn nodded. "Like you and Sam, and Murray. I want you to like me. And I screwed up. I know you... you hate me... I deserve it! What I did was so bad and I know you won't forgive me, but I wanted to say I was sorry that I scared you, and I'm sorry you're angry, and that I reminded you of your son –"  
  
"Who told you about him?" Jack asked.  
  
"S-Sam," Shawn wiped his cheek again, looking at Jack for the first time. "Don't be mad at her, please? I-I didn't know about... about what might have happened. I-I wasn't thinking, Jack. I won't do it again."  
  
"I'm not mad at her," Jack said. He should have been, but he wasn't. He knew that if Sam had told Shawn about Charlie, then she'd had a good reason. Probably she'd done it to calm him down after Jack had verbally squashed the boy. The fact that Shawn was so wary around him told Jack he'd done a bang up job of chewing him out. Something that he was very good at, and even better at when he was angry. But something that he never should have subjected the boy to. No matter how angry or scared he was. He sighed, and rubbed his face again, feeling very old.  
  
"I don't hate you, Shawn." Jack said softly.  
  
"You don't?" There was definite disbelief in the tone of voice, and Jack sighed again and patted the spot on the dock next to him. Shawn took it as the invitation it was, and sat down next to him, not quite touching him, but as close as he dared.  
  
"No, I don't hate you. I could never hate you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack..."  
  
"I know you are, Shawn." Jack reached out and put his arm around the boy, pulling him close. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you."  
  
"I deserved it," Shawn said, brokenly, starting to cry as he buried his face in Jack's side and wrapped his arms tightly around Jack.  
  
"Maybe." Jack pulled him up and into his lap, cradling him and holding him securely in his arms as he had held his son so many times. "Don't ever do it again, okay?" Jack whispered, feeling a stinging in his own eyes as tears threatened again. Tears that he ruthlessly suppressed. Now was not the time to break down.  
  
"I won't. Not ever."  
  
Jack left it at that. Shawn was sobbing into his chest like he'd never stop, and O'Neill as certain if he said anything, Shawn wouldn't have heard it anyways. He just held him, rocking him and being with him, trying in his own way to show the boy how sorry he was for the way he'd reacted.  
  
They were like that for a long time. Shawn had stopped crying and Jack wasn't sure if he was still awake, or if he had drifted off. Jack, himself, was feeling pretty worn out, and he decided it was time to get them to bed.  
  
"You awake?" He whispered.  
  
"Mmm-hmmm."  
  
"Let's go back to the cabin, okay?"  
  
Shawn nodded, and let go of Jack reluctantly, standing up on legs made shaky with inactivity. Jack stood up, too, then, and scooped the boy up in his arms.  
  
"Next time you sneak out of the cabin, put some shoes on, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Jack," Shawn agreed, resting his chin on Jack's shoulder.  
  
Jack didn't care if the boy had shoes on, or not, but it was a good excuse to hold him a little while longer. He carried Shawn up to the cabin and put him on his bed, silently, to avoid waking the others. As he slid under his own blankets, though, Shawn dropped down off his own bunk, and slid into Jack's, unwilling to be apart from him. The hurt was too fresh, the memory too raw. He still needed to be held.  
  
Jack smiled drowsily in the dark, moved over to make room for him at the same time pulling him close, and drifted off to sleep. Shawn wasn't far behind. The little boy sighed, comforted, and closed his eyes, his head resting on Jack's arm. He was asleep in moments. 


	64. 64

"Sam?"  
  
Carter opened her eyes, surprised to see Daniel kneeling down next to her bed. She sat up quickly, worried that something had happened.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Daniel shook his head, holding his finger up to his lips to shush her. The last thing he wanted was for all the girls to wake up and find him in their territory.  
  
"Come with me," he whispered.  
  
Since Sam's bunk was the one right next to the door – like Jack's was – it was fairly easy for her to escape unseen. She reached beneath her bed and pulled out a pair of shoes, slid them on and walked out the door.  
  
"What's going on?" She asked him once they were clear of France.  
  
"I want you to see something. Just be quiet, okay?"  
  
Daniel was smiling, so Sam relaxed. Whatever it was, it wasn't bad. He led her to China, and opened the door quietly, pointing first down at Jack's bunk, and then over at Teal'c's. Jack was asleep in his, and firmly tucked against him was Shawn, who looked about as peaceful as Sam had ever seen a kid look. When she looked over at Teal'c's bunk, Sam was shocked to see that Teal'c was asleep as well, and firmly cuddled in his arms was Andrew, who was dwarfed by the Jaffa, but looked – if possible – even more comfortable than Shawn.  
  
Daniel gave her a few moments to take in what she was seeing, then gestured for her to follow him out the door. She did so, grinning.  
  
"I woke up and found them like that, and just had to have someone else see it."  
  
"Didn't those two bring teddy bears?" Sam asked, laughing. She was relieved to see that Shawn and O'Neill had obviously had a heart to heart, and even more awed to see that Andrew had made himself so comfortable with Teal'c. "Who do you cuddle up with at night?"  
  
"I brought books."  
  
"They don't seem to be quite so soft."  
  
"Yeah, well... at least my books aren't drooling all over my pillow."  
  
"Good point." She wished she'd brought a camera. "So, Shawn and Jack got things worked out?"  
  
"Looks that way." Daniel shrugged, "I didn't see it, though, so you'll have to ask them."  
  
"I won't need to ask. I'll wait and see how they act when they come to breakfast. What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Some damn bird was singing right outside my window. I normally ignore that sort of thing, but I swear it must have been using a microphone or something."  
  
Sam looked at her watch and saw that there was at least half an hour before the rest of the camp woke up. "Well, how about I buy you a cup of coffee?"  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Camp horn woke Jack. He wasn't ready to wake up just yet, but the horn didn't care. It seemed like he'd only fallen asleep minutes before, although the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows told him it had been longer than that. A few hours, at least. He looked at his watch to see what time it was, and found his hand pinned to his bed by Shawn. Along with his wrist, his arm and most of his shoulder. Jack slid his arm out from under the boy carefully, not wanting to wake him up. He needed sleep. Come to think of it, Jack needed sleep, too. But the horn had sounded, and that was that.  
  
He crawled over Shawn's sleeping form, not disturbing the boy, and got out of bed, stretching muscles that positively ached. He needed coffee. A lot of coffee. Looking around, Jack saw that Daniel's bed was empty, but everyone else was still asleep. On his way into the bathroom, he nudged Teal'c to wake him, and then woke himself up a little further by splashing water on his face.  
  
He debated showering, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Nor did he feel like shaving. He just wanted coffee. Once he was awake, he could always come back and do the other stuff. Teal'c joined him in the bathroom, looking far more refreshed than Jack felt.  
  
"Good morning, O'Neill."  
  
"Morning, Murray. How'd you sleep?"  
  
"On my side, as I normally do."  
  
Jack stared at him for a moment, wondering if he'd misunderstood that on purpose or not, and then just nodded.  
  
"Good. Daniel's already up and about, and I'm going to go find some coffee. You mind making sure the boys wake up?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
Jack took off his watch and handed it to Teal'c.  
  
"Give that to Shawn when he wakes up and tell him he's the watch guy this morning."  
  
"He will be most pleased."  
  
"Yeah. He could use a little cheering up, I think."  
  
"And yourself, O'Neill?" This was as close as Teal'c would come to prying, and it was a sign of just how concerned he was for his friend that he'd even asked.  
  
"I'm okay, Murray," Jack told him, slapping his shoulder in a gesture of appreciation. "Thanks for caring."  
  
"You are welcome."  
  
"See you at breakfast, okay?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Jack knelt next to his bed, grabbing up a pair of shoes and making sure his keys were in his pocket. Then he tucked the blankets around Shawn, and silently left the cabin.  
  
He found Daniel in the cafeteria with Sam. More importantly, they'd made coffee. He walked into the room, nodding at both of them, but focused only on one thing for the moment.  
  
"Morning, Jack."  
  
"Daniel."  
  
"Jack."  
  
"Sam."  
  
It was the most they'd get until he'd had some coffee, and Daniel and Sam grinned at each other. He poured a cup of sweet nectar of the gods, and then took a long, loving sip.  
  
"Oh, yeah. That's good."  
  
"How'd you sleep, sir?" Sam asked, smiling a welcome as he came and sat down next to her.  
  
"On my side," Jack told her, straight-faced, but with a glint of good humor in his dark eyes. Sam smiled, as did Daniel, and they sat and chatted about the morning, and the weather, and the coffee, but not much else. None of them brought up the events of the night before, knowing that if Jack wanted to talk about it, he would. 


	65. 65

Author's note: Don't panic because this one is kind of short, and not so funny, and not so dramatic. It's just a transition chapter, and things will pick up, I promise! Lots left for them to do! Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to review this, it helps me know what's wanted!  
  
~*~  
  
The kids started trickling in about an hour after Jack arrived in the cafeteria. By now, Jack was far more awake, having had a couple cups of coffee to get him on his way. He was still feeling drowsy, but wasn't in danger of falling asleep in his breakfast. The China boys came rushing in with far more enthusiasm, and settled themselves into their places noisily, chattering and laughing. Shawn was last in, as Jack had expected him to be. Watch guy was always last. He came over and sat in the chair next to Jack, looking at Jack a little warily, as though afraid Jack might have changed his mind overnight about them being friends again. O'Neill reached out and ruffled his hair in greeting, giving the boy a welcoming smile, which was echoed by Shawn's relieved one.  
  
"Morning, Shawn," Sam said from her chair right behind his own.  
  
"Morning, Sam."  
  
Shawn reached into his pocket and pulled out Jack's watch, which he handed over. "Everyone's up and here," he told O'Neill, pointing at the crowded table of boys.  
  
"Good job, Shawn," Jack replied, taking his watch back and putting it on. He thought about saying something else, but he didn't, instead turning to the other boys to greet them as well.  
  
"Morning guys."  
  
"Hi, Jack!"  
  
"Morning!"  
  
"Where were you Jack?"  
  
He hadn't been in bed when they went to bed, and he hadn't been in bed when they woke up, so it was assumed that he didn't sleep last night. Something that was only a little true. He slept, just not enough.  
  
"I was around," O'Neill answered evasively. Luckily, that was good enough for the boys, and they changed the subject.  
  
"What are we doing today, Jack?"  
  
He pulled out the schedule, which was looking more and more battered every day, and looked down to find the right day.  
  
"We're doing swimming and water activities this morning," he told them.  
  
"That's what we're doing," Patricia called from France's table. She had been watching Daniel and only partially paying attention to the other conversations at the tables, but Jack's announcement had jumped out at her. Jack looked down and double-checked, but that's what the schedule said. He looked at Sam, who shrugged.  
  
"We're probably teaming up for some activities," Jean said from her spot between Shelly and Patricia. "It's not that uncommon, especially for water activities. It makes relays and such things more interesting when it's done competitively against another cabin."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Oh, man, I don't want to swim with girls."  
  
"Why not?" Sam asked.  
  
"Not you, Sam. The girls!"  
  
"Yeah. They'll pee in the water, or something."  
  
"We will not!"  
  
"That's gross!"  
  
Jack raised his hand to forestall any more comments from his boys. "That's enough, guys." He told his boys, firmly. "If the schedule says we're swimming with the girls, then we are. And they won't pee in the water, and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Understood?"  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be great."  
  
They didn't sound at all sure, but they did what he told them and stopped complaining. Probably because they knew he'd make them do extra activities together if they didn't, such as the basketball game.  
  
Sam hid a grin, wondering if Jack had any idea just how much he sounded like a military commander, and not a camp counselor. Of course, she was beginning to realize that camp counseling was a lot like leading a platoon. A platoon of very young, immature soldiers, who – in the case of her girls – had crushes on another platoon's leader.  
  
"Time to eat!" Jared's voice broke into Sam's thoughts, and there was a general noise of bustling and chatter as the Runners for each table were selected. Shawn was Runner for China, since he had had watch duty that morning, so he sprang out of his chair and headed for the serving window along with the other runners from the other tables.  
  
"What sort of water activities will we be endeavoring to accomplish?" Teal'c asked Jean, curiously.  
  
"The usual stuff; relays, diving board stuff, canoe stuff maybe. It all depends on the lifeguards. They're the ones that set things up."  
  
"I see."  
  
She hadn't mentioned sailing, much to Teal'c's relief. He hadn't found sailing to be all that pleasant, even though O'Neill had been the one to get injured. Being forced to rely on something as fickle as the wind to make your craft move just wasn't very interesting. They were cut off by the arrival of Shawn with a huge platter of pancakes, and conversation ceased as the campers began eating hungrily.  
  
As usual, Gary stepped up to the front about the same time people were beginning to push their plates back and even the hungriest of kid was starting to slow down. He smiled a good morning to all of them, and read off a few minor announcements, then excused the campers to their cabins to clean them up for inspection, and to get ready for their morning activities. 


	66. 66

They went back up to the cabin and straightened things up as well as they could. Clothes were piled into bags and bags were shoved under bunks. Beds were made, although none were quite as neatly made as Jack's, who had been taught by a DI a long time ago how to make a bed quickly and inspection- worthy. He was done with his long before the rest of them, and went around helping the boys make their own. He figured even if they failed an inspection for everything else, they might as well have the sharpest beds. (Although Sam's was probably equally well made, he had to concede.)  
  
Two boys were sent into the bathroom to make sure there wasn't toothpaste all over the walls and sink, and another was given candy wrapper patrol, although there were very few of those. Then, when it was as clean as it could be, the boys changed into their swim trunks, and Jack, Daniel and Teal'c changed into shorts. Teal'c kept his shirt on, and the bandana that he was using to conceal his very obvious differences, but Jack and Daniel decided to go shirtless, and use the opportunity to soak up a little sun. Once they were all ready to go, Jack rounded them all up, Daniel made sure they all had towels, and they headed down to the water.  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
"Damn."  
  
Only Jack heard the curse, and only because he was walking right next to his friend. He grinned, and the two turned their heads to watch the girls from France run up to them. To Daniel, really. The China boys scowled and stepped closer to Daniel, forming a girl-proofing shield for him, which Daniel appreciated.  
  
"Hi girls," Jack said, smiling at them. They looked from Daniel over to Jack, and winced collectively at the bruises and cuts on his chest and shoulder.  
  
"Hi Jack," Gina said, grinning up at him. She didn't wince.  
  
"Hi, honey."  
  
"Girls!" Jean, Sally and Sam all came walking up to the group, and the boys moved slightly so that Sam could step up to Jack and walk beside him. She looked beautiful in a one-piece bathing suit that was the same color as her eyes, and Jack smiled a welcome as he put his arm around her. Sally looked equally nice in a green one-piece, and Jean was ravishing in a blue bikini that showed off her tanned body magnificently. She'd definitely turn heads. But not Jack's.  
  
"You guys need to stop pouncing on the boys every time they walk out their door," Sally told her campers. Daniel could have kissed her. Especially when the girls backed up a little bit and the boys loosened their shield so they could all walk again.  
  
Daniel reached out and took Sally's hand, pulling her closer to him. Something that everyone noticed right away, of course. Jack and Sam looked at each other, and Jack wondered if Daniel was keeping her close so that Sally could keep reminding the girls to keep back, or if there was more to it. Sam slid her hand along the small of Jack's back just then, however, and Jack decided Daniel's love life was his own business. At least for the moment. The boys circled once more, grinning because the girls all got in trouble, and they continued their walk to the water as one large group.  
  
"How's the chest, Jack?" Jean asked, looking at Jack's bruises. She winced, but not because of the bruises. She'd noticed the other scars, and wondered how he managed to get them.  
  
"Oh, it's okay. I probably won't be allowed to get too wet, though. Daniel'll have the same problem, most likely." Jack gestured at Daniel's cast. "Which leaves Murray to be the lone representative for the China counselors."  
  
Teal'c scowled, realizing that was correct, and wondered what that meant. Most likely, it was bad. He'd only found a few activities at this camp that he had thoroughly enjoyed so far. Jack and Sam both grinned at the scowl, although Sam turned her head and hid hers. Jack, however, took the full force of the glare Teal'c shot him, and didn't back down at all. Junior had disadvantages, after all.  
  
~*~  
  
They reached the water and found that two lifeguards were waiting for them. A third was on the boat dock, watching the sailors with his binoculars. Jack was glad that it was the smart-assed one that had to keep reminding him of his boom mishap every time he saw him. At least he wouldn't have to put up with that. The lifeguards had an assortment of things with them, but when they gestured for everyone to get on the swimming dock, they left their other stuff on shore. The two winced when they saw Jack's battered chest and face, and both noticed Daniel's cast. Ah, good old China. These counselors were well on their way to becoming camp legends.  
  
The first thing the lifeguards did was ensure that all the campers knew how to swim. They did this by having them all swim from the swimming dock to the boat dock, which was a fair distance. The kids all jumped in, and with a great deal of splashing - and a little bit of racing – they made their way across, then ran back around to rejoin their counselors on the swim dock.  
  
At the very end of the swimming dock was a diving board. This was the place where the swimming area was deepest. The lifeguards introduced themselves and Katie and Robert, and then told the campers what they were going to be doing first.  
  
"We're going to be having a competition," Katie told everyone. "We'll have assorted games, relays and events, and Robert and I will be giving out individual points on how well you do. When the competition is over, we'll add up the points and see which cabin is the winner. Everyone with us so far?"  
  
There were nods, and excited murmurs. The boys from China were always up for a good competition. The girls from France were just as eager to show that they were better than the boys.  
  
"Okay." Robert took over the announcement for the first competition. "The first thing we're going to play is Jump or Dive." He pointed to the diving board. "One at a time, you're going to go out to the end of the board." He walked out to the end of the board, and bounced on it.  
  
"You'll jump up into the air, towards the water," Katie took over again. "And once you reach the apex of your jump, Robert or I will yell either JUMP or DIVE. Whichever one we yell, that's what you have to do. A dive will only count if your hands go in the water first. A jump will only count if your feet do. Got it?"  
  
There were grins all around. This would be fun! Jack was grinning, too. He didn't have to do it.  
  
"Okay, line up."  
  
The girls got in one line, the boys got in another. Daniel and Jack went to stand off to the side, where they could cheer for their boys and still be out of the way. They watched as Gina went up to the board and stood on the end, watching the lifeguards, who nodded. The little girl bounced, and headed for the water.  
  
"Jump!"  
  
It was easy! She was already jumping, so she merely pushed her feet down further and landed in the water in good form.  
  
"One point." The girls cheered as Gina paddled over to the ladder.  
  
Simon was next, and the boy swaggered out onto the board, confident. He gave a mighty bounce, going fairly high in the air.  
  
"Dive!"  
  
Twisting around impossibly, Simon managed to make it so his hands went into the water first, and the boys all cheered.  
  
"One point."  
  
Seeing that the kids understood the game, the lifeguards starting to make it a little more difficult. And the result was hilarious. And sometimes a little painful. More than one kid –boy and girl – tried to anticipate what was going to be called, only to have the lifeguard call something completely different. Even flexible bodies can only twist so much, and many times the kid who thought it would be a dive and had started for the water head-first would end up desperately fighting gravity as she or he was trying to get their feet down before they hit the water. Many of the kids ended up landing on their backs, or worse, on their stomachs, and there were some spectacular belly flops that brought out assorted sympathetic groans.  
  
The counselors were no safer. For that matter, they weren't generally as flexible as the kids were, and most of them found themselves on the receiving end of some of the worst of the belly flops. Jean's tanned belly was red by the time they were through the line of campers three times, and Sam had managed to do a back flop that left her back just as red as Jean's stomach. Only Teal'c was spared, and for the same reason that he'd done so well in the Twister competition. He was just way more flexible than he looked. No matter how long the lifeguard would wait to call the jump – or dive – Teal'c managed to get himself into position. No belly flops, no back flops. And he did it all without losing his bandana, much to Jack's relief. 


	67. 67

"Okay! Good job, you all!" Katie called the kids and counselors over to the shore, and she and Robert each picked up a brown paper sack. A normal grocery bag.  
  
"Now we're going to do a relay race, so line up behind that line in the sand, and listen to Robert tell you what to do."  
  
There was a bit of scuffling as they all got into line, and Katie motioned for Jack and Daniel to join the line for China, which meant there wasn't going to be much – if any – water involved. They did, and listened as intently as any of the kids to what was going to happen next.  
  
"Katie and I each have a bag," Robert said, grinning. "In this bag are various foods. What you have to do, one at a time, is run up to us, grab an item out of the bag and eat it. Once it's swallowed, you run back and tag the next person in line. Fairly easy, eh?"  
  
It did sound easy, and the boys grinned, knowing that they would win this easily. They'd seen the girls eating at meals, and they were dainty eaters. Not at all like the boys. The girls, on the other hand, were not so willing to concede. They could eat fast when they wanted to. And this time they wanted to.  
  
"Ready? Go!"  
  
Shawn was first in line, and he sprinted to Katie, who was holding China's bag. Reaching in, he pulled out a jar. Of baby food.  
  
"Strained carrots? Gross!"  
  
"Eat it, Shawn!"  
  
"Hurry up!"  
  
Shawn looked over at Danin, who was first in line for France. She was happily eating her way through a snack-sized bag of Oreos. He scowled, but took the spoon Katie offered him and started eating it manfully. It turned out it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. Just tasted like carrots, and Shawn didn't dislike carrots. It wasn't a bag of Oreos, though. He finished his jar a quickly as he could, and dashed back to the rest of his team, only slightly behind. Strained carrots go down easier than Oreos, once you set your mind to it.  
  
The bags ended up holding the same items, it was just simple luck of the draw to see who ate what. Some were quite entertaining. Simon drew out a little green onion, and had a bit of trouble downing it, the look on his face absolutely priceless. Jack got lucky and pulled out a banana, which was easy enough. Andrew got the Oreos for his team, and dumped the whole bag in his mouth at once, startling Katie, but not surprising China at all. Teal'c ended up with an orange, which he didn't bother to peel, he just ate it like an apple. Daniel was the second last in his group, and he found himself face to face with a peanut butter sandwich. That one took some doing.  
  
Luckily, he was offered a carton of milk with the sandwich, and he gagged it down as quickly as he could, swearing to himself that he'd never eat another one as long as he lived.  
  
China won. Only because the boys were downright ruthless when it came to eating to win. Aside from Shawn's initial hesitation, they didn't stop to even look at what they were eating, they just ate it. The girls weren't quite so diligent, and it showed. They were one person behind when the last bite of Tyler's chocolate pudding cup was finished.  
  
"Yay!"  
  
"Wooo-hooo!"  
  
The boys jumped around, but only for a second before Jack put a quick stop to it with a disapproving glance. He was all for winning, but not for rubbing the girls' noses in the fact that they'd lost. The boys took the prompting immediately, and changed their tactics to congratulating the girls on how well they did to keep up. The lifeguards set down their now empty bags, and went on to the next game.  
  
It was another relay race, and one that Jack and Daniel weren't allowed to participate in. This time half the campers from each team went to the boat dock, and the other half were positioned on the swimming dock. It looked like it might be a swimming race, but then Robert pulled out two large inflatable alligators. He handed one to Danin, who was the first girl in line for France, and one to Andrew, who was the first boy in line for China.  
  
"It's a relay," Robert told them. "The alligator is the baton. You two will swim – with your alligator – over to the other dock, where you will hand the alligator off to the next person, who brings it back here for the next person. Since there's two counselors out for China, you need to pull two counselors out from France to make things even."  
  
Sam and Jean stepped out of the line, and Carter walked over to stand between Jack and Daniel on the swimming dock, since Jack was avoiding the boating dock when he could so he wouldn't have to deal with the smart-assed lifeguard.  
  
"Having fun?"  
  
"I think I'm going to barf that sandwich up," Daniel told her, softly.  
  
Sam laughed, and put an arm around Daniel's waist, and the other around Jack's, enjoying their company as they watched the relay race begin.  
  
Swimming with an alligator – even a fake one – isn't nearly as easy as one might think. There wasn't anything for the campers to grip, and the things tended to roll over onto the campers when they tried to hold it with one arm and swim with the other. Climbing on it proved ineffective as well, since the gator would just roll over and knock them off. So, eventually, it just turned into a race to see who could control the gator the best while the other people on their team cheered them on.  
  
China lost.  
  
The girls in France were – for the most part – bigger than the boys in China, and they had longer arms and legs. Most of them were strong swimmers who made up for the few that weren't. It had been close, but there was no mistaking that France's alligator was thrown up onto the boat dock before China's. The girls were gracious winners, though. Mainly because the boys had been, and they wanted to prove they were just as capable of being good winners as the boys were.  
  
Robert and Katie let them celebrate for a few moments, and then told the campers that they had the next half hour to swim and play in the water before they were sent off to get cleaned up for lunch.  
  
Jack looked at his watch in surprise. He hadn't even realized time had gone by so quickly. Sure enough, though, it had. Sam took Jack and Daniel both by the hand and led them to the water.  
  
"Come on, guys, let's play in the water a little."  
  
"I can't get my cast wet."  
  
"Yeah, and my chest is –"  
  
"Come on." Sam grinned. "You don't have to go in above your waist. Daniel, just keep your hand up out of the water. You're on vacation; remember? You're supposed to be having fun." "Uh huh."  
  
They let her lead them out into the water, where the kid came rushing at them. The girls surrounded Daniel, who looked over at Sam with a look that plainly said she was going to pay. Sally came over to rescue him, laughing and splashing the girls, who were careful not to get Daniel's cast wet.  
  
Jack went to stand in the water next to the swimming dock, where he could watch his boy playing an impromptu game of jump or dive. Teal'c was asked to be the one to call out the jump or dive. A few of the girls had joined in as well, and with the other ones all chatting with Daniel and Sally, that left Jack and Sam fairly alone. As alone as a pair of counselors could be with their kids all around them anyways. She noticed this, as well, and waded over to stand next to him, her hip just brushing his.  
  
"Your face is starting to look better," she told him. "The bruises are fading a little. Most of them, anyways."  
  
"Yeah. It doesn't hurt, either."  
  
He put an arm around her waist and pulled her just a little closer, well aware of what her nearness was doing to his body, but able to conceal it in the waist deep water. Sam felt it, though, and smiled as she leaned back against him, trying to avoid the more serious cuts and bruises on his chest as she did. Jack didn't even notice the pain. They watched their campers, waving when they were called to, and grinning at a particularly bad dive or jump, but mostly, just being close in a way that they'd never dared to be before. It was nice. 


	68. 68

They were excused about a half hour later to go to their cabins and get ready for lunch. Jack sent his boys up with Teal'c and took a few minutes longer to get out of the water himself. Once he sent Sam away, as well. She was the whole cause of his problem, and having her standing there practically giggling at him from the shore was a whole lot easier to handle than having her pressed tightly against his stomach. The lifeguards simply assumed he wanted a few more minutes to cool off in the water, since he wasn't able to actually dunk his head. He let them think what they wanted. Which was far better than them knowing what was really going on.  
  
"You're evil," O'Neill told Sam as he finally made it out of the water and to her side on the shore. She grinned; giving him the most innocent look she could manage at that particular moment. It wasn't a very convincing one. Jack put his arm around her waist and the two of them turned to go up the hill, waving on Shawn on Danin, who had waited for their counselors.  
  
"Shawn! Tell Murray and Daniel that Simon has the watch!" Jack called to the boy, who waved his understanding and sprinted up the hill with his important mission. Danin sprinted after him, asking him what that meant.  
  
"You're still doing the watch thing?" Sam asked, amazed.  
  
"It still works," Jack said, smiling. "None of our boys have been late for a meal yet. And we never have any arguing over who the runner is."  
  
"You're really enjoying this camp counselor thing, aren't you?"  
  
Jack nodded, "Like Teal'c said; it isn't something I would have thought of doing myself, but it's beginning to grow on me."  
  
"You're good at it."  
  
"Maybe short-term," Jack said. "I don't know if I could do it more than a week or so. I'd miss the action."  
  
Sam touched one of the bruises on Jack's chest, and he shied away from the touch.  
  
"That's not what I meant. I don't miss having aliens shooting at me."  
  
"What, then?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, Carter. I guess I just miss having it be life or death. Eating a banana as fast as I can so my team doesn't lose a relay race is nice and all, but it's hardly something to keep the blood pumping."  
  
"I think it's a pleasant break from the routine." Sam said.  
  
"It's pleasant, Sam, but it'd be awfully lonely if you weren't here with me. I'd be as homesick as Andrew."  
  
She blushed slightly at the compliment, knowing that he was completely serious, and Jack smiled, knowing it had pleased her. He found he was enjoying the chance to tell her things like that, just because he knew she would like it. Of course, he was serious, but that was beside the point. It was more for Sam that he expressed himself so openly to her. It was completely out of his nature to say something like that, but she made him want to make her happy. Which was fine with him.  
  
They parted at the Camp Horn. Sam went to France, and Jack went to China. There were a couple girls at China's door, and Jack shooed them away, figuring they were annoying Daniel.  
  
"Jack? What does it mean to have the watch?" Danin asked as Jack waved her away from the door so he could get in.  
  
"Don't tell her, Jack!"  
  
"Yeah, she doesn't need to know."  
  
He grinned at the girl and shrugged his shoulders, which hurt. "I can't tell you, Danin. The boys have sworn me to secrecy."  
  
The boys whooped with glee that Jack had kept the secret that wasn't really a secret, and Jack shook his head. Kids. Danin looked so disappointed, though, that Jack made a big show of wrapping his towel around her to aid him in pulling her away from the cabin, and once he was out of earshot of his boys, he leaned over.  
  
"Ask Sam, she knows." He whispered.  
  
Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, then turned and sprinted off towards China.  
  
"You didn't tell her, didja, Jack?" Tyler asked when Jack came through the door.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Simon? All the boys about ready?"  
  
"You guys about ready?"  
  
"Almost!"  
  
"I can't find my shoe!"  
  
"Jack, we're out of toilet paper."  
  
"Use Andrew's sock."  
  
"Gross!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Jack grinned, and shook his head. "Run down and use the bathroom by the dining room, William. I'll make sure they know we need some."  
  
The boy took off down the hill with Tyler in tow, and Jack looked over to Simon to make sure he took note of the two that left so he wouldn't be looking for them later. Simon nodded, knowing what Jack was telling him, and pointed at his watch.  
  
Jack gave the boy a thumbs up and dried ff and changed into jeans and a long sleeved shirt, then slid his feet into loafers.  
  
"I'm going to head on down," he told Daniel and Teal'c, who were playing rummy with a few of the boys who were already changed and ready. They were just using the time to get Teal'c a bit more skilled at the game.  
  
"We'll be there as soon as the horn sounds."  
  
"Good enough."  
  
He walked out the door, and started down the hill, looking over at France a he did so, but Carter didn't appear at the door to come walk with him like he'd half hoped she would. Instead, it was Gina who came rushing up to keep him company, and Jack smiled despite himself. Maybe little girls weren't so bad, after all. 


	69. 69

"Sam! Look who I found!"  
  
Carter looked up from her schedule at the sound of Gina's voice and smiled. Jack was coming through the door, holding the little girl upside down by her ankles as he was walking, swinging her side to side. Gina was loving it.  
  
Sam stood up and walked over, grinning. "It looks like he found you."  
  
"I did," Jack said, swinging her up high so Sam could catch her. Otherwise he was going to have to just drop her on her head. "I was walking through the woods, and I turned over a rock, and there she was."  
  
"Uh-uh!" Gina said, giggling.  
  
"I was swimming in the lake, and this huge whale came up to me and spit her out. So I had to bring her into shore."  
  
"Uh-uh!"  
  
Jack smiled, and rubbed his sore shoulder. "Okay, I was walking down the hill and she came running up to me, hollering my name."  
  
"Yup!"  
  
Sam set the little girl down, and Gina ran over to claim the chair next to Carter's. Jack and Sam walked over a little more slowly.  
  
"I'm tempted to keep her." Jack told Sam.  
  
"No, no... you remember what General Hammond said about bringing pets back to the base with you."  
  
"There's always an exception."  
  
"She won't always be little and cute."  
  
"Yes, she will."  
  
Sam smiled and sat down again, listening to Gina tell her all about Jack swooping her up in his arms and swinging her around on the way down the hill. O'Neill walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee, then sat down with the two of them and denied everything that was said.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
He looked up to see Andrew and Shawn running into the room. Both of them were panting, as though they'd sprinted down from the cabin, and they took the chairs on either side of him.  
  
"Hey guys. Rummy done already?"  
  
"Yeah. Murray lost."  
  
Big surprise there.  
  
"But he was doing better," Andrew said, loyally.  
  
"Yeah, he's getting better."  
  
"Murray's a fast learner," Jack agreed. He heard a commotion at the door and saw a group of campers coming in, and among them were the rest of China. Daniel came in with a group of the girls from France, and Sally, who was apparently keeping them at a reasonable distance. Jack didn't miss the fact that Daniel was holding Sally's hand, and from the speculative look on Sam's face, Carter hadn't missed it, either.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Huh?" Jack turned his attention back to Andrew. "Sorry, Andrew. What?"  
  
"I asked what we are doing this afternoon?" The boy looked over to see what had captured Jack's attention, but all he saw was Daniel and some of the girls from Sam's cabin.  
  
Jack pulled out his schedule, once again telling himself he was going to ask for a new copy to replace the battered one, and looked down for the right day.  
  
"Ropes course."  
  
"Ooo. We did that," Gina said. "It was scary. You're really high up."  
  
"But you have a harness on," Sam said.  
  
"It's still scary," Gina said.  
  
"I wouldn't be scared," Several of the boys said at once.  
  
"Me, either."  
  
"It's really high," Gina said once more.  
  
Sam was looking at Jack, though, and ignoring the boys. Jack looked back, his eyes twinkling with good humor. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and he opened his mouth to tell her that there wasn't any way they were going to get hurt, when Daniel did it for him.  
  
"They use harnesses," Daniel said, responding to Gina, and not Sam's look, which he hadn't noticed. "How much danger can there be?"  
  
"How many of you were wearing harnesses when you broke the mountain?" Danin asked.  
  
"That's different," Shawn said, jumping to Jack's defense. "That wasn't our fault." 


	70. 70

"Wow."  
  
"That's pretty high."  
  
"I'm not scared."  
  
"Me, either."  
  
Jack stood with his boys an hour later, looking up into the tall pine trees that held the majority of the ropes course. About forty feet up the smooth trunks were a series of cables strung tightly from tree to tree. One at forty feet, and another set about five feet higher and right above the first. Obviously, one was for walking on, one was for the harness to be attached to. They went in various directions, and at changing heights. Along the route in the trees, he saw a sort of wooden ladder that rose up another thirty feet or so, and ended in a little platform no more than three foot squared. There was a small bar, sort of similar to a trapeze bar, hanging just a little away from the platform, and Jack decided that was the bar the girls from France had mentioned jumping for.  
  
Besides the wires, the ropes course also consisted of a cargo net to climb up on to get to the wires, and a wooden wall that was about fourteen feet tall or so. The wall was standing freely, and there was a small area on the top of it that would hold a few boys and a counselor or two. None of the girls had mentioned a wall. Which either meant they didn't do anything with the wall, or they'd forgotten the wall in favor of the course in the trees.  
  
There were a couple of people running the ropes course. One was a very burly guy about the same height as Teal'c with a similar build named Rick, and the other one was a smaller, wiry guy named James. Both were wearing harnesses and helmets. The first thing they did after introducing themselves was to take the boys and their counselors over to the Wall.  
  
"First thing you all need to do is learn that you can count on each other," Rick told the boys.  
  
"We already know that," Shawn said.  
  
James smiled, and looked over at Jack, who shrugged.  
  
"Well, then we want you to show us." Rick said, smiling as well. He was obviously used to kids. The two looked at Jack and Daniel, obviously measuring up the injuries they were seeing, and shook their heads.  
  
"Daniel, you'll need to sit this out, I'm afraid." Rick said. "You're going to need two hands for this, and that cast will be more of a danger than anything."  
  
Daniel nodded, and went over to stand on the sidelines. He wasn't all that fond of heights, anyways, so he wasn't going to argue. He watched as Rick explained to the boys, Jack and Teal'c that they had to get all the campers over the Wall without using any ropes or tools. Just each other. This was easy enough for Jack and Teal'c. They pulled the boys into a huddle and then explained what they wanted to do. The first step would be to get Teal'c up onto the top of the wall, where Jack could boost them all up to him and Teal'c could pull them up the rest of the way.  
  
The hard part was getting Teal'c up to the top. The boys couldn't just make a stirrup of their hands for the big Jaffa. Not even Jack could have, even if he was in good health, and the way his shoulder was bothering him, he wasn't in good health. What he ended up doing was crouching down, braced against the wall for support, and letting Teal'c use him as a launching pad. The Jaffa got a running start, then jumped up onto Jack's shoulders for only a moment, then launched himself from there at the wall. Once he caught the top edge with his fingers, it was simply a matter of pulling himself up, which he did easily.  
  
Jack grunted, but held steady for his friend, unwilling to allow Teal'c to fail. Which, he supposed, was the whole idea. He watched as Teal'c pulled himself up onto the top of the wall, then motioned for the first of the boys to come over to him. He made a stirrup for them. They didn't weigh all that much, and one by one, O'Neill boosted them up to Teal'c, who simply reached down and grabbed each one by his wrist and pulled him up. Finally, when the last boy had leaped off the other side, Jack looked up to see if Teal'c was ready, and took a running leap at the Wall himself. He didn't have anyone to launch from, but he didn't need to jump as high. Teal'c reached low and caught his up flung hand and wrestled him up to the top of the wall, where Jack lay panting for a few moments, catching his breath and trying to get the aching in his shoulder to stop.  
  
"Are you injured, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.  
  
"Nah, just old."  
  
"As am I."  
  
Jack laughed, and gestured for Teal'c to jump from the Wall first, then followed him, landing smoothly next to him.  
  
"Good job, guys!" Rick said, coming up and clapping his approval. He held up a harness, "Looks like you guys are ready to try the ropes course, now, eh?"  
  
Andrew stepped up, willing to be first. Rick harnessed him up, in a slightly different type of harness than they'd used for rock climbing. This one was around the boy's waist and between his legs, all straps coming together at what would be his belt buckle.  
  
"It's designed to allow you to sit in it," Rick told them all. "In case you get tired on the course, just hold the safety line and relax, and the harness will hold you like a chair, sort of."  
  
The boys nodded their understanding, and Rick led Andrew to the cargo net, then reached up and snapped a safety line from the boy's harness to a wire that was above the net.  
  
"James will reset your harness once you get through with the net," he said, pointing at the man standing on the wire above the cargo net. Andrew nodded again, and started up the net, slipping and getting himself tangled quite frequently, but never giving up and heading in any direction but up. The rest of the boys were cheering him on, shouting out suggestions that most likely wouldn't help, but wanting to try to help their friend in any way they could.  
  
Finally, he made it to the top, and stood there, about forty feet above the rest of them, grinning down as he watched James set his safety line on the wire above him. There were various lines going from tree to tree, and each of them had a different type of support system to help the camper walk the wire. Obviously, unless the kid was a circus performer, he or she wasn't going to be able to simply walk to tight rope. There had to be some help along the way. The help came in the form of thick ropes dangling from the top wire. These were there for Andrew and the boys who would follow, to use to steady themselves as they walked along. Most of their weight was on the ropes, which made it a little easier for them to maneuver, but it was still difficult. A challenge. Which was why the ropes course was sometimes called the Challenge course. 


	71. 71

Jack watched anxiously as Andrew made his way along the first part of the course. The boy was moving carefully, and he was struggling in some parts, but he was scrappy, and he wasn't looking down, even when the boys below cheered for him. He fell once. His hand slipped off one of the ropes and there was a collective gasp from the boys, but the harness caught him just like Rick had said it would. A chair. Andrew rested for a moment, getting his courage and breath back, and started again. Eventually he reached the ladder that was nailed to the tall pine, and here he was met by another man that hadn't been introduced. This man switched Andrew's safety line over to a different one. A long rope that ran to a pulley far overhead and then down to Rick, who was holding the end. The man gave Andrew some instructions, which the boy nodded to, and then pointed up to the little platform that Jack had noticed earlier.  
  
Visibly trembling, now, although Jack couldn't tell from the distance if it were from exhaustion or fear, Andrew climbed the ladder and stood on the platform, for the first time looking down. All the way down.  
  
"Jump for the bar, Andrew!" Rick called up encouragingly. "You're almost done."  
  
Andrew looked over at the trapeze bar, and then down again, and it was obvious he was visibly making up his mind if he wanted to jump for the bar or not. There was another option, Rick told Jack. If a boy was too afraid to jump for the bar, he could simply sit on the platform and scoot himself off them edge, holding onto the safety line. Rick would then just lower him to the ground. Of course, none of the boys wanted to be the one who scooted off the platform, though. Not even at seventy feet up. What would the girls say?  
  
Andrew made the leap, and caught the bar. Then he just hung there, grinning like a fool as he debated how best to let go. Rick pulled the line taut as Andrew hung, and then yelled up for him to let go, that he had him. Andrew did as he was told, and a moment later he was lowered to the ground, and surrounded by the rest of the boys who were patting him on the back and congratulating him.  
  
"Who's next?" Rick asked, holding up another harness.  
  
Shawn was next. He had only a little trouble with the cargo net, having longer arms than Andrew and having seen what Andrew had done wrong. He was a bit more timid on the rest of the route, frequently looking down at Jack for reassurance. Jack was yelling up as much support as he could, but the courage to climb that final tall ladder was all Shawn's, and everyone knew it. Especially Andrew, who was yelling with excitement. He'd done it, anyone could.  
  
Shawn leaped for the bar and made the catch easily, grinning just as foolishly as Andrew had, and when he was lowered to the ground, Jack was sure that smile wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon.  
  
One by one the boys took the challenge course on. Teal'c went about halfway through, to show Simon that it would hold someone even as big as he was, and when the Jaffa was lowered to the ground after catching the bar, it seemed to hearten the nervous boy enough that Simon was next to go. After Simon was Tyler, and once that boy had finally screwed up enough courage to make his leap and was lowered to the ground, it was Jack's turn.  
  
"Come on, Jack!"  
  
It was getting fairly late, and the afternoon sun was filtering through the trees, throwing some interesting shadows onto the boys as Jack put his harness on. He attached the safety line and headed up the cargo net, not having much trouble, if any, with it. Cargo nets were old hat to him.  
  
"Doing great, Jack," James told him when he reached the big man.  
  
"Thanks, James." Jack said, watching as his line was attached to the wire above him. Jack wasn't too worried about the course; he had complete faith in his harness, even if it was a different kind than any he'd used before. He sat down in it once, just to see how it would support him, nodded his satisfaction and stood up again, and made his way along the wire, grabbing ropes to help pull himself along. His shoulder was screaming by the time he reached the ladder going up the pine, and he stopped to rub it as the unintroduced man switched his safety line over to the line on the pulley that Rick held.  
  
"You okay?" The man asked, noticing the bruises on Jack's face.  
  
"Yeah, just a bit achey."  
  
"Hehe, you should see me after showing the kids how to do it a few dozen times. It feels like my arms are going to fall off. You're almost done, just make sure you catch the bar, or you'll never hear the end of it."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Jack made his way up the ladder, and onto the platform and looked down. Daniel was directly below him, looking up with his cast shading his eyes from the sun. Teal'c and the boys were close at hand as well, shouting encouragement at him. With support like that, what could go wrong?  
  
He leapt for the bar, and caught it. Then immediately felt his shoulder give out as a spasm of pain shot through the bruised muscle. His hand opened and Jack lost his grip on the bar, but was still swinging. He tried desperately to hold it with his left hand only, but the momentum carried him past, and his hand slipped, jerking him around and causing him to plummet head first for the forest floor.  
  
The safety line and the harness caught him up short after about thirty feet, and Jack grunted in pain as he was jerked sideways and the rope slapped against his leg.  
  
"Gah!"  
  
Then things went from bad to much worse. The harness, which was designed to allow a man as heavy as Teal'c to sit comfortably in it, wasn't designed to catch a man who was falling upside down. There were no shoulder straps, only waist and leg straps. The jerking motion when the safety line caught caused the normally tight harness to sling sideways just enough to loosen it a bit. And it was enough to allow Jack to slip right out of it. He tried to reach up and grab the line, but he didn't have a chance, and he fell the last thirty feet without the rope, or the harness, both of which swung above him almost mockingly.  
  
"Gah!"  
  
It was all he had a chance to say as he landed, not on the ground, but on Daniel, who'd been watching but couldn't believe what he was seeing, and didn't move out of the way in time to avoid his falling friend. Both men went down in a heap and Jack couldn't stop the curse when he felt something snap as he landed.  
  
"Shit!" 


	72. 72

Author's note: Sorry about the cliffhanger, guys. At least I don't make you wait until next week to see what happens!  
  
~*~  
  
"Tell me agai-"  
  
"General Hammond orde-"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"Jack! Daniel!"  
  
Realizing he was still partially sprawled on Daniel, Jack rolled over on his side and bit back another curse as he felt a stab of white-hot pain lance through his entire right arm.  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
"I hurt, but I'm okay. I think. You?"  
  
"Hurt sounds right."  
  
"Are you guys all right?" Rick had come rushing up to them, and was kneeling at their sides.  
  
"Something broke," Jack said, trying to force himself up into a sitting position so he could get a better look at Daniel. God, that hurt.  
  
Teal'c was there instantly, kneeling behind O'Neill, bracing him.  
  
"Thanks, Teal'c."  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
The boys were gathered around anxiously, and James sent one of them off to get Kim. Which made Daniel and Jack both groan.  
  
Daniel struggled himself up into a sitting position, as well, and looked up at Jack's empty harness that was still swinging above him, then over at Jack. There was a cut on Daniel's forehead that was bleeding freely, and he had a pained look in his eyes that told Jack he was about as miserable as he could be. But he was alive and had managed to avoid serious injury.  
  
"I'm okay."  
  
Jack shook his head, which made him dizzy.  
  
"You don't look okay."  
  
"Well, if you could have aimed anywhere but at me when you were falling..."  
  
"Oh yeah, way to drop the ball on the catch, by the way..."  
  
The two men grinned.  
  
"You're both lucky." James said, coming over and looking up at the harness.  
  
"I gotta tell ya," Jack said, wincing as he shifted slightly, still holding his right arm tenderly. "I don't feel all that lucky."  
  
"It could have been a lot worse."  
  
Jack looked at Daniel, and realized that was true.  
  
"How's the head?"  
  
"Considering you landed on it, you mean?"  
  
"I was looking for the softest spot I could find."  
  
"It hurts, but I didn't lose consciousness." Since that was the first question Fraiser would have asked, it was the first question Daniel answered.  
  
"Good."  
  
"You hurt your arm?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
Jack looked into the worried faces of the boys, and shook his head. "Don't worry, guys. We're not hurt-"  
  
The camp station wagon pulled up only a moment later, and Kim and Simon both got out and rushed to the crowd around Daniel and O'Neill. The nurse ordered the boys to step back a little, but didn't say anything to Teal'c, who wouldn't have moved if she had. He was concerned about his friends, and wanted to help.  
  
"Simon told me what happened," She said, pulling a bandage out of her first aid kit and pressing it against Daniel's bleeding forehead. "Hold that, there, Daniel."  
  
"Jack fell." Daniel said, trying to turn her attention to Jack.  
  
"On Daniel." Jack said, wincing when she took his arm in gentle hands.  
  
"On Daniel's cast, I bet," Kim said, looking at his arm, which was obviously broken. He was lucky it wasn't a compound fracture, as hard as he'd landed. The bone could have just as easily broken though the skin.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Jack hadn't actually looked to see.  
  
Kim sent Simon back to her car to get the air splint off her back seat, then splinted Jack's entire arm, since she wasn't positive there wasn't more than one break. While she did that, she had James touch various places on Daniel's legs and arms, making sure Daniel had feeling in all his extremities. Which he did. Then repeated the process with Jack, who was leaning heavily against Teal'c, now.  
  
"We'd better get them to the hospital," Kim said, once she'd made sure neither had taken a spinal or neck injury, and that neither seemed to have injured their legs. Miracle after miracle.  
  
"I will accompany you," Teal'c said, rising to his feet and pulling Jack up carefully.  
  
"You need to stay with the boys," Jack said.  
  
"Don't worry, Murray," James said, hauling Daniel to his feet as effortlessly as Teal'c had done Jack. "I'll go with them."  
  
Teal'c didn't look happy, but he looked down at the group of boys that were gathered around him, and realized that he did, indeed, need to stay with them. They were his responsibility with O'Neill and Daniel leaving.  
  
"Very well."  
  
The boys were silent as they watched Daniel and Jack being loaded into the station wagon, and when the car had moved off down the faint dirt road, Shawn looked up at Teal'c.  
  
"Murray?"  
  
"Yes, Shawn?"  
  
"Why did Jack call you Teal'c?"  
  
"It is a nickname that O'Neill has for me." Teal'c said as he turned and gestured for the boys to walk back to the cabin with him.  
  
"What kind of nickname is it?"  
  
"My dad calls me Sparky sometimes."  
  
"My mom calls me Bubbles."  
  
"Bubbles?"  
  
"Yeah. I don't know why. She won't tell me. She just laughs."  
  
Shawn wasn't going to be distracted by his friends, though, and he watched Teal'c, waiting for an explanation.  
  
"It is just another name for me, Shawn. Sometimes, he uses Murray. Sometimes he uses Teal'c."  
  
"Which do you like best?"  
  
"Teal'c."  
  
"Can we call you Teal'c?"  
  
"If you wish." He couldn't see any harm in it.  
  
"Teal'c?"  
  
"Yes, Andrew?"  
  
"Do you think Jack and Daniel will be okay?"  
  
"I am certain of it." He changed the subject, hoping to make them forget about their concerns for a while. "Come. Let us go get cleaned up, then we will play Rummy while we wait for them to return."  
  
Feeling a little better, since Teal'c wasn't concerned at all about Jack or Daniel, the boys' faces lightened a little, and there was a less mournful beat to their steps as they made their way back to the cabin. 


	73. 73

They didn't play Rummy in their cabin. They carried the decks of cards down to the cafeteria where they'd have more room, and played at their usual table. No one was in there, and the only sounds were those coming from the kitchen as Gary and his crew started to get dinner ready.  
  
The cook came out and saw them all there, and asked what had happened. Hearing about Jack and Daniel, and seeing the concern on the campers' faces, he went back in and found a plate of cookies, which he set on the table for the boys. Nothing eases worry like a fresh chocolate chip cookie. It worked, as he'd known it would. The boys munched cookies and played Rummy with Teal'c, and while they didn't completely forget about their missing counselors, they didn't worry as much as they might have.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
Sam entered the dining room about an hour after the boys and Teal'c did. The boys looked up and greeted her with smiles.  
  
"Hi, Sam."  
  
"Hi, Sam!"  
  
"Greetings, MajorCarter."  
  
"Where's Jack?" Sam asked, looking around.  
  
"He fell off the ropes course."  
  
"He caught the bar, but then missed it, and dropped on his head."  
  
"He did not."  
  
"Yes, he did."  
  
Sam's smile faded instantly, and she looked at Teal'c for more information.  
  
"The Camp Nurse has taken O'Neill and DanielJackson to the hospital."  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
"Jack fell on Daniel."  
  
"On his cast."  
  
"Are they okay?"  
  
"Indeed. Both were talking and alert when they left. O'Neill has most likely broken his arm."  
  
"Daniel cut his head. It was bleeding pretty good."  
  
"Like Jack's when he hit the boom."  
  
"The boom hit him."  
  
Sam sat down in Jack's chair, and Shawn realized she was still worried. He put his hand on her arm, and gave her a small smile.  
  
"Don't worry, Sam. Teal'c says they're going to be fine."  
  
That got her attention.  
  
"Teal'c?"  
  
"It's what Jack calls Murray, sometimes. Did you know?"  
  
Sam nodded. "I call him that sometimes, too. I'm just – "  
  
"O'Neill called me by that name after he fell from the harness," Teal'c said, explaining to her that Jack had let it slip. "There is no harm done. I do not mind if my friends call me Teal'c."  
  
The boys beamed.  
  
Sam smiled, and looked down at Shawn's hand on her arm.  
  
"He really fell on Daniel?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"I got the bar, Sam." Simon told her from the other side of the table.  
  
"Me, too!"  
  
"I went first!"  
  
"I was last. Well, before Jack. He was last. I got the bar, too."  
  
"They didn't let Daniel go. They said he couldn't because of his wrist."  
  
Ah, the ironies.  
  
"How long ago did they leave?" Sam asked Teal'c.  
  
"It has been roughly one hour."  
  
"They probably won't be back before dinner, then." Sam said, more to herself than to anyone else.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Well... I think I'll wait with you guys anyways, if you don't mind?"  
  
They didn't, of course. 


	74. 74

Sam sat with China during dinner that evening. Gary had asked her if she didn't mind stepping up and helping with the boys since they knew her and seemed to like her so much. If she didn't want to, he'd said he could pull one of the male counselors from UK, but he'd seen her already sitting with them and knew that they would respond better to her than to a practical stranger.  
  
Sam had agreed, of course, and found herself sitting in Jack's place at the dinner table. Sally and Jean were watching over their girls, but the girls only wanted to talk about Daniel and Jack. Mostly Daniel. They were pestering the China boy for information the entire meal.  
  
"Jack really landed on Daniel?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"And Daniel was bleeding?"  
  
"Yeah. It was all over. Blood and guts everywhere."  
  
"There weren't any guts."  
  
"It sounds better if you say guts."  
  
"It's gross," one of the girls complained.  
  
"Then don't ask."  
  
"Jack broke his arm?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Did Daniel hurt his broken arm?"  
  
"It's in a cast."  
  
"That doesn't mean you can't hurt it."  
  
"He didn't say his arm hurt."  
  
"Just his head."  
  
About halfway through dinner, the Nurse came in and walked over to the table Gary was sitting at. She knelt down and they spoke for a few minutes, with all the camp staff at the table leaning in to hear what was being said. Sam watched intently, as did most of the campers and counselors. Everyone knew about the ropes course accident, and all of them wanted to know how the counselors from China were doing. Gary smiled and nodded at something Kim said, then she stood up and went into the kitchen, obviously getting herself something to eat. Sam stood up and followed her, unable to control her concern.  
  
"Are they all right?" She asked from the doorway to the kitchen.  
  
Kim looked over, and smiled.  
  
"They're fine. Well, as fine as they can be. Jack has a broken bone in his forearm, a partially dislocated shoulder, a sore back, and a lot of bruises. Including a very nasty one that's running along his thigh to his knee that he got from the safety rope snapping back at him. He'll be limping for a couple of days, and will have a cast on his arm for at least a month."  
  
"And Daniel?"  
  
"A cut on his head that took a few stitches to close, a lot of bruising and his back is a little sore, too. They really got lucky."  
  
Sam smiled, relieved.  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"I sent them to their cabin. They say they're not hungry, which is possible, since they're both doped up on painkillers right now, but they'll need to eat later, with their next round of medication."  
  
"Can I see them?"  
  
"Of course. Their campers will probably want to see them, too, so they can see for themselves that they're really all right."  
  
Sam nodded her thanks, and walked out to the dining room again, smiling at the boys sitting with Teal'c as she came and sat down with them again.  
  
"Are they okay?"  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"They're fine, just sore." Sam said it loud enough that the girls at France could hear her as well, since she knew they were genuinely concerned. "Jack broke his arm, and Daniel needed stitches in his forehead, but just that and a lot of bruises."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"At the cabin."  
  
"We should go see them."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The boys started to get up, as did a few of the girls from France, but Sam held her hand up to stop them.  
  
"You guys can't all go charging in there right away."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you'll make them think you've been worrying about them."  
  
"We have been."  
  
"Yeah, but they wouldn't like it if they knew that. They'd be afraid you weren't having fun. You know Daniel and Jack would rather you had fun than worry, right?"  
  
"Right." The boys still didn't understand what she meant, but that part made sense. Of course Daniel and Jack would want them to have fun and not worry.  
  
"So... if you go rushing up and barge in on them looking all worried, they're going to know you've been worrying. You have to play it cool, like you knew all along they were going to be okay."  
  
"I can do that."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
"Me, too." 


	75. 75

Jack was sitting on the edge of his bunk, his head in his hands, wearing nothing but pair of shorts when there was a light knock on the door to the cabin. He looked over at Daniel to see if he'd knocked. Since Daniel was sitting on his own bed, wearing as little as Jack was and staring into his bag as though hoping something clean would jump out at him, Jack decided that it wasn't Daniel at the door. He turned to the door, wincing at the movement, and reached out with his left hand, but couldn't quite reach the knob without moving further. And he really didn't want to move. He dropped his hand.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"It's probably the nurse," Daniel said, looking up from his bag. "Come to see if you've managed to drown yourself in the shower."  
  
Jack scowled.  
  
"It's Sam." Came Carter's voice from the other side of the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
She did, opening the door slowly and peeking in. She smiled when she saw they were both upright, but couldn't hide the wince when she saw O'Neill. He looked worse than ever. A bruise was forming deep and purple on his side along his ribs – probably where he'd impacted Daniel's body. There was also another one – almost black it was so deep – that ran along his inner thigh of his right leg. That one had to be the one from the rope, Sam decided. The cast on his right arm went from just below his elbow all the way to his hand, and covered most of that as well, except for his thumb.  
  
Jack saw the wince and scowled.  
  
"Stop that."  
  
"Sorry, Sir."  
  
She looked over at Daniel, who was equally battered looking. His bare chest revealed bruising similar to Jack's and a beauty was forming on his forehead above his left eye where a white bandage covered the cut he'd had stitched up. The cast on his wrist had been replaced with a new one, and Sam decided the old one had probably been damaged in the accident. Or they'd removed it to do more x-rays. Either way, he looked as battered as Jack. Sam smiled. They looked worse from a week at camp than they'd ever looked on most missions.  
  
"Laughing at us will get you nowhere." Daniel told her, darkly.  
  
"Sorry, Daniel. How do you guys feel?" She entered the cabin and closed the door behind her, walking over to get a better look at the bruise on Daniel's forehead.  
  
"Just ducky," Jack said. And Daniel nodded agreement.  
  
"The kids are eating dinner right now. Kim said you guy weren't hungry?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Are you feeling up to watching the evening activity?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do we have to do anything?"  
  
"Square dancing. And no, you don't have to participate, but I think it'd be nice if you were there. The guys are pretty worried about you."  
  
"Square dancing?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously. "You're joking."  
  
"Oh, no." Sam smiled and went over to sit next to him on his bed, although she was careful not to touch him. "It's on the schedule."  
  
"I'm not dancing."  
  
"Me either."  
  
They both sounded so petulant, Sam thought. She wondered if it were the medications they were on. They weren't normally quite this bad. Well... yeah, Jack was, but not Daniel. Maybe Jack had hit him hard enough to rub off on him? Or maybe it was the medicine. That was probably it.  
  
"You don't have to dance. Come on, you'll enjoy yourselves."  
  
They both gave her looks that quite plainly said they figured otherwise.  
  
"I can't find anything to wear," Daniel said.  
  
"You need to wear jeans and button up shirts," Sam told them. "Western style." She stood up and went over to Daniel's bag and rifled through it for a minute, then pulled out a pair of neatly folded jeans and a shirt that was probably clean. It didn't smell, anyways. Setting them on the bed, she looked over at Jack, who was bent over and looking into his own bag, but not making much effort to find anything in it.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked.  
  
Jack looked up at her, and nodded. Then went back to looking in his bag.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
He looked back up at her.  
  
"Unzip it. You'll be able to see what's in it a lot easier that way."  
  
Jack looked down at the bag again, and then nodded. "I knew that."  
  
"Need help?" She asked Daniel.  
  
"Maybe with my shirt. I'm not sure I can get..." He was trying to put his cast through the sleeve of the shirt Sam had picked out, and Carter undid the button at the bottom to make it a little easier. Then she helped him get his other arm into the other sleeve and buttoned the shirt for him. With the shirt on, at least some of the bruises were hidden.  
  
"Need help with the pants?"  
  
"No. I got it."  
  
Daniel picked them up in his left hand and unfolded them with a little flip of his wrist and tried to slip his foot into them. Without bending his knee to bring his foot anywhere close to the opening.  
  
"You know, cowboys at square dances wore shorts." He told her, giving up and tossing the jeans on the floor. "I'm an archeologist. I know these things."  
  
Carter smiled, picked them up and helped him get his feet into the legs.  
  
"Stand up, Daniel, and I'll help you with the buttons. Just don't expect me to do this every day, okay?"  
  
Moving slowly, Daniel did as she was told and stood up. Sam slid his jeans up and fastened them for him, smiling to see herself in such a role. No one would ever believe this.  
  
"Sit back down, now." He didn't look all that steady, and sitting down was better than falling down. He did as she told him, and Carter turned her attention to Jack, who was still staring at his bag. Which was still closed. Sam sighed, wondering how much medication the two were on. 


	76. 76

Author's note: Yes, I fell off the ropes course, and right out of my harness... luckily, I was fairly close to the ground and only fell about 15 feet. I miss my camping experiences...  
  
~*~  
  
The kids were all still in the cafeteria finishing dinner, but Sam walked with Jack and Daniel down to the gym, where they'd be square dancing. It had taken a little longer to get Jack ready than it had Daniel, mainly because he'd stubbornly insisted that he didn't need any help, and kept insisting even as Sam had helped him into his shoes. It didn't matter, though. The campers would have a chance to go up to their cabins and change, which would give the injured men a chance to get settled in a couple chairs off in a corner where they could watch and still be out of the way.  
  
They walked slowly, mainly because Jack was limping painfully on his right leg. The muscle was so bruised from the rope that Sam winced every time he took a step, and he leaned on her more heavily than Daniel did. She didn't mind, though. She was just glad they'd neither one hurt themselves too seriously. It really could have been much worse. Although she was sure Jack and Daniel felt it was bad enough.  
  
Gary was in the gym setting up a table of refreshments off to one side, and he smiled warmly when Sam, Jack and Daniel all walked in. The gym had been decorated for the dance, and there were bales of straw in various places, as well as dried cornstalks, and a couple saddles here and there just to add an authentic Western flair to the dance. It looked pretty good, Sam thought. Gary pointed at a couple of upholstered chairs that had been brought down from his office. These were sitting off on the sidelines, and out of the way, but in a good spot to see the activities.  
  
"Take them over to the chairs, Sam, if you would? I'll be over in a second." He moved off to talk to a man that had arrived the same time. This man was wearing a straw cowboy hat and was dressed in western clothes that actually looked authentic on him, so Sam figured he had something to do with the square dance.  
  
"Come on, guys," She said to Jack and Daniel, who were looking around at the decorations in the gym.  
  
"Square dancing, huh?" Jack asked, looking down for squares.  
  
"I'm almost glad you fell on me, Jack," Daniel said as Sam settled him in a chair.  
  
"Hey, whatever I can do to help."  
  
Carter shook her head, and just hoped they'd lose the attitude before the kids arrived.  
  
Gary walked over just then, with the man he'd been talking to.  
  
"Jack, Daniel, Sam, I'd like you to meet Roy Gramble. He'll be doing the calling tonight." Gramble stuck his hand out, and Sam shook it, smiling warmly. Jack and Daniel both started to put out their hands, but the casts would make shaking impossible anyways. They nodded, instead, and tried to ignore the look that Roy was giving them.  
  
"Wow, what happened to you two?" He asked.  
  
"Jack fell on me."  
  
"From a trapeze bar." Jack added, smiling with absolutely no sincerity. He was already tired of being winced at. Things weren't getting any better. "I thought I saw a Snickers bar in his shirt pocket."  
  
"Ah. I see."  
  
"Jack! Daniel!"  
  
The adults turned at the sound of the first campers to arrive, and Sam wasn't surprised to see that it was a small group of the boys from China. Shawn, Andrew, William and Simon came rushing up and stopped in front of the two chairs that their counselors were sitting in, grinning at Jack and Daniel, who smiled back. Sam was glad to see that the smiles were genuine this time. It was one thing for Jack to be an ass with some stranger. Quite another for him to be one with his boys.  
  
"Hey, guys, how was dinner?"  
  
"It was okay. Spaghetti."  
  
"How are you doing?"  
  
"Wow! You have a cast, too."  
  
"Can I sign it?"  
  
"Sure. Go find a pen, okay?"  
  
"Sam should sign it first. She's Jack's girlfriend."  
  
"Okay, but I get to sign it after that."  
  
"Then me!"  
  
"You guys will have to resign Daniel's cast, too. They took off the old one and gave him a new one."  
  
"Did you rebreak it, Daniel?"  
  
"No, they just needed to x-ray my hand, and they couldn't with the cast on it."  
  
Sam breathed a sigh of relief. The boys would do what she couldn't. Get Jack and Daniel out of their medication induced eccentricity. Roy Gramble reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a blue felt tipped pen, which he handed to Carter. She smiled at him as she took it.  
  
"They're on medication."  
  
"I understand." The man smiled warmly. "I need to go get set up. I'll come by and get my pen back later."  
  
Sam signed her name on Jack's cast, and then signed Daniel's as well, then handed the pen to the boys.  
  
"I need to go make sure the girls are getting ready. Will you guys keep an eye on Daniel and Jack for me while I'm gone?"  
  
"Sure, Sam."  
  
Shawn rested his hand on Jack's shoulder possessively as the other boys crowded around to start signing the casts, and O'Neill smiled at the boy, and pulled him up against his uninjured side, hugging him closely while he held his hand still for the boys.  
  
"Make sure you save some room for everyone else," he warned them, remembering how Daniel's first cast had looked. "And no bad words." 


	77. 77

Author's note: I don't really know all that much about square dancing... We did do it at camp, but I was recovering in the infirmary from my fall, so I didn't have to do it... therefore, I won't be describing it as well as I've described everything else.  
  
~*~  
  
The dance wasn't all that much fun for Jack and Daniel. True, they weren't allowed a chance to become bored. The campers and various counselors all came by at one point or another to see how they were doing or to sign their casts, but this wasn't fun. Jack had already had his fill of sympathetic looks, and he was getting them left and right that night. Daniel had it even worse, since Gina had come up to Jack and scrambled up into his lap. (An act that almost killed him when her knee burrowed into the bruised muscles of his leg) Once she was firmly ensconced in Jack's lap, she leaned back against him and watched as the rest of the campers danced, the boys reluctant at first to partner with the girls, and vice versa, but finally everyone meshing fairly well. Once the France girls had seen that Jack was willing to let one of their own into his lap, it was a scramble for the rest of them to try to get into Daniel's. The result was amusing for Jack, and painful for Daniel.  
  
Sally had come to Daniel's rescue, pulling Shelly off Daniel and sending her back out to dance with her partner. The rest of the girls were shooed away as well, except Gina, who stayed where she was. Jack shook his head when Sally asked him if she wanted her to take the little girl. He figured if she got off him, she'd just want back up in a few minutes, and it was less painful for him to have her climb up only once. Besides, she was a quiet kid and wasn't wriggling around on him, so she wasn't hurting him.  
  
"Let me know if you change your mind," Sally had told him, and then had went off to dance with Teal'c, who was finding square dancing to be almost as fun as Twister. Jack had nodded, and watched his boys as they were paired up with mostly the France girls, and had briefly wished that he were out there so he could dance with Sam. But only for a moment. Then he saw one of the boys from UK get tripped up by one of the girls from Switzerland when they made a misstep and knew the last thing he needed was to be in that mess of kids.  
  
"Do you want something to drink, Jack? Daniel?"  
  
Shawn had stopped by to check on them. Jack shook his head. He wanted a beer, and that just wasn't going to happen. Daniel asked for a glass of water, though, and Gina asked for a rice crispy treat. Shawn was about to tell her where to stuff her rice crispy treat when he caught the look on Jack's face, and sighed. Fine, he'd be the gofer for Gina, but only because Jack wanted him to be. Jack just didn't want her trying to get back into his lap after getting down. Shawn stumped off to get the requested items and even managed a smile when Gina told him thank you.  
  
"How much longer is this going to go on?" Daniel asked about a half an hour later.  
  
"No clue, but I think I'm about done." Jack leaned his head down and blew a raspberry against Gina's bare neck, causing the girl to giggle. More importantly, it got her attention.  
  
"Honey? Would you go get Gary for me, please?"  
  
"Sure, Jack."  
  
She jumped off his lap and ran across the room, and Jack looked over at Daniel. "You ready to leave?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"Act tired and hurt."  
  
"Well... that ought to be hard..." Ah the sarcasm was oozing. Jack grinned, then wilted when he saw Gary coming over with Gina.  
  
"Jack? Everything okay?"  
  
"It's fine, but Daniel and I are starting to get tired. I was thinking we should probably head up tp the cabin, if you don't mind?"  
  
"No, not at all. Want me to get you someone to help you?"  
  
"No, we're okay. Wouldn't want to pull people from their fun." Besides, if he picked Sam, she might try to convince them to stay a little longer. "We'll just head up at our own speed."  
  
"Okay, then. I'll see the two of you in the morning."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jack gave Gina a goodnight hug, then waited while she got one from Daniel, then the two stood up, slowly, and made their escape while the camp was dancing to "oh Johnny oh Johnny oh!" which was fast enough to hide their movements.  
  
"Remind me why –"  
  
"General Ha-"  
  
"He didn't really want me to square dance on my vacation, did he?"  
  
"Who knows?"  
  
"I feel like crap," Jack complained as the two of them walked around the side of the building and started through the parking lot and up the hill.  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Jack! Daniel!"  
  
They both groaned in unison as the Nurse hailed them from her cabin. It was almost as though she'd been waiting for them to pass her by. They turned towards her, waiting for her to come up to them.  
  
"You'll both need to take your medication when you get back to your cabin," she said. "And you need to eat something. Would you like me to get you something from the kitchen?"  
  
"No, thanks," Jack told her, forcing a smile. "I have a couple of granola bars in my bag. We can eat those."  
  
"Very well. I'll see you in the morning, then. If you have trouble sleeping, just send a camper down to me, and we'll see if we can figure out a way to make you more comfortable."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
Daniel's good night was a bit less forced than Jack's.  
  
"You don't really have granola bars in your bag, do you?"  
  
"No, I just didn't want her coming up and hovering over us."  
  
"You know, Jack," Daniel said as they started walking up the hill again. "You're not as dumb as you look."  
  
"I know. Just don't tell anyone, okay?" 


	78. 78

The next morning started badly. Jack hadn't slept the night before - something he was getting used to – and was stiff and sore from being in the same potion for so many hours. The fun thing was that Daniel was just as miserable as Jack, and had been awake all night as well. Jack found out that misery truly does love company, because he found that he felt a little better knowing that Daniel was just as miserable as he was.  
  
Long before the horn sounded to wake them up, Jack was already struggling to get into a sitting position, biting back curse after curse. Hearing the commotion from O'Neill's bed, Daniel gave up on trying to sleep as well, and started his morning with just as much difficulty.  
  
Neither of them had bothered to change out of their square dancing clothes that night, so getting dressed wasn't going to be a problem. Once they managed to get on their feet, quietly so they didn't wake the kids so early, it was a simple matter of slipping feet into shoes and staggering out the door and down to the cafeteria. Both men wanted coffee, and both men left their painkillers in their pockets. Jack wasn't exactly a fan of hurting, but he had missed an entire night of enjoying time with his boys because he'd been too out of it to concentrate on what was going on, and he didn't want to miss another day – their last full day at camp – for the same reason. Daniel felt the same way, and they decided that they'd take aspirin for the aches, and hope it would be enough.  
  
The entire camp was silent, as Jack had known it would be. His watch said 4:30, and the sun hadn't started to do much more than cause a faint light in the eastern sky. They turned on the lights in the main building as they made their way to the dining hall, and Jack told Daniel to go sit down, he'd make the coffee.  
  
"Please tell me that we're not doing anything strenuous today," Daniel said as he made his way over to China's table and sat down in the chair he normally ate his meals in.  
  
"No clue." Jack was having trouble opening the coffee filters with one hand, and was too busy concentrating on trying not to drop the whole package to dig out his schedule. "It can't be that bad. Whatever it is, I'm sure we don't have to do it."  
  
"They probably wouldn't let us do it if we wanted to," Daniel said, watching as O'Neill finally managed to free one filter and put it in the machine.  
  
"Good point."  
  
"You're going to spill that if you try to open it that way," Daniel told Jack, who was holding the can of coffee grounds under his arm – the arm with the cast – and was trying to open the plastic lid with his good hand.  
  
"No, I'm no- Damn it."  
  
O'Neill managed to catch a handful of grounds as they poured onto the dining room floor, and he put them in the filter along with the scant amount he'd managed to catch with the plastic lid, and then started the machine.  
  
"Told you."  
  
"Yeah, well... the lid wasn't made right."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Jack looked into the kitchen door and found a broom, and swept up the grounds he'd spilled. He hadn't found a dustpan, and didn't feel like bending over anyways, so he just sort of swept them into a pile and swept the pile against the wall out of the way.  
  
"Smooth."  
  
"Yeah, well. I'll clean it up later."  
  
O'Neill picked up a couple of clean coffee cups and took them over and sat at the table with Daniel, sliding one of them over to him. Then he fished his schedule out of his pocket, and looked at it.  
  
"Last day..." he read, mostly to himself, but aloud so Daniel could hear, too. "Wake up... breakfast... clean cabins... hey, it's a free day."  
  
"The whole day?"  
  
"Yup, looks like it. Until evening activities, anyways."  
  
"What's the evening activity?"  
  
"I'm not sure. My schedule is ripped, and that part's too tattered to read." Jack handed the paper over to Daniel, and watched the coffee as it started to brew.  
  
"Just think, you'll probably add to your bracelet collection this morning."  
  
"Weee..."  
  
Jack smiled, and looked down into his empty cup. "Maybe I'll go fishing. You want to come fishing?"  
  
"What? Right now?"  
  
"No, this morning, during free time. Have Sally send the little girls away, and you and I can have a peaceful morning on the dock. As long as we don't catch anything – or Sam doesn't try to reel it in – we'll be fine."  
  
Daniel was looking speculative, a look Jack knew well.  
  
"If we don't bait the hooks, we won't catch anything."  
  
"There you go."  
  
"This schedule really is beat up, Jack." Daniel said, looking at the paper once more. "Why didn't you get another copy?"  
  
"So? You want to go fishing with me? We could send the girls sailing, the boys riding or on another nature walk with Teal'c, and that would leave us free." He gave Daniel a speculative look of his own. "We could invite Sally to come fishing with us."  
  
Daniel brought his head back up to give Jack a sharp look, and O'Neill's face took on instant innocence.  
  
"What? It's just a thought."  
  
"Uh huh. Is Sam coming?"  
  
"She might. If you promise to keep her away from the fishing poles."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just trust me on that one." 


	79. 79

Author's note: I loved camp! I went every year, and went back when I was old enough to counsel. (Even played lifeguard one year)  
  
~*~  
  
Screaming woke Teal'c. The big Jaffa sat up quickly in his bed, instantly alert. Another shriek, and he was out of his bunk, barely managing to avoid tossing Andrew to the floor, and only at the last moment managing to catch him in strong arms and drop him onto O'Neill's empty bunk. A quick glance told him Daniel and Jack were both gone, but that the other campers were all asleep in their beds. Except Andrew, who was awake now, and looking at Teal'c in confusion.  
  
"What's wrong, Murray?" He asked.  
  
"Hush." Teal'c was intently listening, and he reached over and opened the door.  
  
Another scream sounded from the distance, and Andrew heard it as well.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Someone is in distress."  
  
Teal'c left the cabin and ran towards France's cabin, where he'd decided the screaming was coming from. With Andrew following as well as he could, barefooted and shivering in the cool morning air.  
  
The door to France was open, so Teal'c rushed over, wondering what could have happened to cause them all to be screaming, and instantly worried about Carter. He stopped at the doorway, and stood there, looking. All the girls were standing on their bunks, and Sam and Jean were sprawled on the floor, Sam halfway under a bunk in the back of the room, and Jean partly under Sam's.  
  
"It's under here, I think," Sam called, her voice muffled.  
  
Sally was trying to get the girls to stop screaming, but Teal'c's arrival at the doorway did that for her.  
  
"What is the matter?" Teal'c asked, as Andrew came up behind him, trying to see around his large body.  
  
"There's something in here!" Danin called. "It was sitting on my bed when I came out of the bathroom!" She pointed to the bunk Sam was under.  
  
"I think it's probably just a mouse, or something, Murray," Jean said, her voice a little clearer, since she was under the bed right next to the door.  
  
"A mouse is hardly a reason to become so upset," Teal'c said calmly.  
  
"It's not a mouse!" Danin said, standing on Gina's bunk with a hairbrush in her hand to defend herself with. "It's huge."  
  
"Murray? Hand me that broom." Sam called. A hand came out from under the bed, and pointed towards the corner, where Teal'c saw there was a broom. The Jaffa crossed the room and picked up the item in question, then knelt down next to Carter's leg and slid it under the bed.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Andrew took Teal'c's place at the door, and watched as Carter started jabbing the broom at something. Then he jumped when a creature came tearing out from under the bed and ran right at him.  
  
"Gah!"  
  
He jumped up on Sam's bed, and the creature took off out the door, obviously just as frightened as the girls it'd disturbed.  
  
"It was not a mouse," Teal'c observed, calmly, as he took the broom from Carter so she could slide out from under the bed.  
  
"I told you it wasn't!" Danin said, looking out the window as though she expected it to come back with friends.  
  
"It was a muskrat," Andrew said, jumping down off the bunk. "Kind of like a great big rat."  
  
"A rat!"  
  
"It was on my bed!"  
  
"Eeeeewwwww!"  
  
"It's not a real rat," Andrew said. "Just kind of like one. They're harmless."  
  
Sam and Jean both dusted themselves off, and the girls started coming down off their beds, chattering and laughing nervously.  
  
"We shall return to our cabin, MajorCarter," Teal'c said, smiling slightly. "Feel free to...call... if you require any more assistance."  
  
"Yeah," Andrew said, grinning. He couldn't wait to get back to China and tell the boys what had happened.  
  
"Thanks, Murray," Sam said, smiling as well. "How are Jack and Daniel?"  
  
"I am not certain. They are not in their beds."  
  
"Probably down getting coffee," Sam said, nodding. If Jack wasn't in bed, he was almost definitely getting coffee. And Daniel was most likely with him.  
  
"Indeed. I must return to my cabin."  
  
The girls shut the door behind Andrew and Teal'c, and then had Sam and Jean do another quick look under the beds before they'd relax enough to start getting ready for their day. 


	80. 80

Jack and Daniel had polished off the entire pot of coffee by the time Sam walked down to the dining room. Not only had they finished the first one, but also Jared had made them another one when he arrived to start breakfast, and he'd been a real good sport about cleaning up the mess Jack had made with the coffee grounds. Jack had tried to apologize, and had offered to clean it up later, but Jared had taken a look at him and Daniel, and had just shaken his head and done it himself.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Jack," Jared said, wincing at the dark bruise above Daniel's eye. "It's not that big a mess, and I've had worse to clean up."  
  
Sam walked in as Jack was pouring another cup – he'd lost count – and came over to them, stopping only long enough to get a cup for herself.  
  
"Morning, guys," she said, brightly, taking the pot from Jack and pouring his coffee for him, then freshening up Daniel's cup.  
  
"Hi, Sam," Daniel said.  
  
"Morning, Sam."  
  
"You two look a little more alert this morning," she noted. They looked just as miserable, but they weren't staring at her blankly, either.  
  
"No medication."  
  
"Aspirin." Jack corrected.  
  
"Don't you hurt?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Then why aren't you taking the pain pills?"  
  
Jack rubbed his face, wincing when he hit a particularly sensitive area. "Carter... I don't even remember going to bed last night."  
  
"Ah..."  
  
"I remember you lied to Kim," Daniel said, helpfully.  
  
"I did not." Jack objected, and then thought about that one. "Did I?"  
  
"Something about granola."  
  
"You told me cowboys danced square dances in shorts, Daniel," Carter told him.  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Yup." Sam smiled, wondering what else they remembered. She was glad they weren't going to be so doped up that morning. They were undoubtedly her favorite people in the world, but she would definitely have left them to Teal'c if she'd had to deal with the two of them as out of it as they'd been the night before.  
  
"Why would I say something like that?"  
  
"Just trust me on that one, okay?"  
  
He nodded, looking confused, but unwilling to pres the issue. Besides, he was wondering now what else he'd told her – or anyone else for that matter.  
  
"Sam dressed you!" Jack said suddenly, snapping his fingers and pointing at Daniel.  
  
"And you." Carter reminded him.  
  
"And me?"  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jack went silent as he tried to remember other things from the night before, and Sam grinned into her coffee cup, taking another sip.  
  
"Do you want to go fishing?" Daniel asked.  
  
"Now?"  
  
"No. This morning. It's a free day, and Jack and I were discussing the possibility of maybe getting the kids sent off hiking or riding or sailing or something..."  
  
"The kids, or my girls?" Sam asked.  
  
"Your girls," he confessed.  
  
Sam grinned again. It was only fair, she thought. Daniel had really been a good sport, and deserved a chance to get some time away from them.  
  
"I'm not sure about fishing..." She said, looking at O'Neill, who was staring into his cup, still wading through his fragmented memories of the night before.  
  
"It was Jack's idea," Daniel assured her.  
  
"Sounds good, then."  
  
She was just going to ask if she should invite Sally when the first of the boys from China arrived, and came over to their table, laughing.  
  
"Hi Jack! Hi Daniel!"  
  
"Morning guys."  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
"Hi Sam."  
  
"Morning guys."  
  
"Andrew told us about your rat," William said as he slid into his chair.  
  
"Rat?" Jack asked.  
  
Sam nodded, "We had a muskrat in our cabin this morning. What a wonderful way to wake up, having Danin screeching in your ear."  
  
"Teal'c and Andrew went running over to see what was wrong."  
  
"'Teal'c'?" If anything, Jack looked even more confused, and not a little concerned. Sam smiled.  
  
"Apparently, when you fell on Daniel, you called Murray by the nickname you have for him, and the boys caught it. So they asked him, and Murray said he didn't mind if they called him Teal'c, since all his friends call him that."  
  
"Where'd you come up with that nickname, Jack?" Shawn asked. "It's a bit... odd."  
  
"Teal'c?" Jack was still looking just as confused, and turned to Daniel, wondering what else he'd spilled, but Daniel only shrugged. He didn't remember Jack calling Teal'c by name. All he remembered was Jack falling on him.  
  
"I think it's just a play on Murray's last name," Sam said, coming to the rescue when Jack didn't say anything. "Teallik."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Jack looked over at Sam, incredulously. She was a genius, and that was the best she could come up with? Sam shrugged, helplessly.  
  
"Yeah, that's what it is," Jack agreed after a second. "Just a way to shorten his last name." He rubbed his face again, thinking longingly of his bed. 


	81. 81

"What are we doing today, Jack?" Shawn asked as a few more counselors and campers started to trickle in, yawning and chattering.  
  
"Free day," Jack said.  
  
"Great!"  
  
"We can go sailing!"  
  
"And riding!"  
  
"And on a nature walk!"  
  
Jack was already tired. He and Daniel sat quietly as the boys started discussing what they were going to do, and were both grateful that they had an excuse not to do it, as well. While the boys told Sam what they were going to do, the rest of the campers and counselors entered and Teal'c came and joined the table, looking far more refreshed than Daniel or Jack. And far healthier. Jack noticed this as well, and muttered something about wanting a snake, too, but he didn't say it loudly, and Sam and Shawn were the only ones that heard him over the din in the cafeteria. Carter smiled, and Shawn wasn't really paying attention.  
  
"Good morning, Campers!" Gary came to stand by the kitchen door, grinning hugely, and looking as cheerful as ever. Jack and Daniel both scowled. Then Daniel winced, and Jack smirked. Which made Daniel scowl again.  
  
"Today is the last full day of camp," Gary was saying, and the two men turned their attention back to the Camp Director. "Today is a free day. The horses will be available, the sailboats will be free to anyone who wants to use them, and of course, there'll be arts and crafts for any of you who might have come up with something else you want to make. There'll be a nature hike, as well, if one of the counselors would be willing to take charge of that?" He looked over at Teal'c, who nodded his acceptance. Teal'c liked Nature walks, and didn't mind having the children out with him. It was refreshing.  
  
Gary wasn't through, though.  
  
"Tonight, as is the custom, we'll be having Talent Night." He waited for the few cheers and murmuring to die down before continuing. "Talent night is a chance for individuals and groups to show the rest of us what you can do. Singing, dancing, juggling... whatever you do, if you want to do it, tonight's the night!"  
  
He held up a piece of paper. "I'm going to tape this to the wall of the gym. If you want to sign up to do something, just put your name and cabin, and what you're going to do. Any questions?"  
  
There were none, but the campers were already talking among each other, deciding what they could do, or bragging about some ability or the other. Gary read off a couple of other announcements, then told them to pick their Runners and enjoy their breakfast.  
  
"Talent night!"  
  
"That should be fun, right Jack?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"I can tap dance," one of the girls said from France's table. "Maybe I'll sign up."  
  
"I can play the trumpet, but I didn't bring it."  
  
"I can play the piano. My mom made me learn."  
  
They went on in that vein for a few minutes, until Jack asked who had been the watch guy that morning, and sent the boy up to be Runner. He was hungry. And needed more coffee.  
  
~*~  
  
The morning was bright and sunny, and Jack, Daniel and Sam were all walking slowly down to the waterfront. Sally had pulled Daniel aside and told him that she'd get the girls to go on the hike with Teal'c or go riding, and he smiled his thanks and invited her to join him and the others down at the water. She'd accepted, and told him she'd meet them down there, she just wanted to make sure the girls were on their way.  
  
Carter walked between the two men. She said it was to make sure that if one of them tripped, she'd be there to catch them, but really it was just because it was pleasant for her to walk with them like that. She was as fond of Daniel as she was of Jack, although in a different fashion, and it was nice to be able to just be with them, and not have the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance. Her left hand slipped around Jack's waist, gently, and held him lightly, but her right hand was around Daniel's as well, and he'd slipped his left hand over her shoulder, just as content to be with his friends as she was.  
  
"Sally's going to meet us?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yup. She said she was."  
  
"She's nice, Daniel. I like her."  
  
"Yeah. She is."  
  
"She's smart, too," Sam added, nonchalantly. "She told me she has a couple degrees."  
  
"She does," Daniel said. "In Theoretical Mathematics, and in Engineering."  
  
"Really?" Jack asked, impressed. "Wow."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"So..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You going to see her after this week is over?"  
  
"If she wants to, I think so." Daniel had known this was going to come. Sam and Jack were far too close to him to allow him to show an interest in a woman and not want to know how things were going every step of the way. He didn't mind sharing, but he wasn't going to let them only talk about him.  
  
"What about you two?" He asked.  
  
"What about us?"  
  
Daniel smiled, which hurt. "Come on... spill it."  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
"Well...?"  
  
"We're going to try and figure something out. It'd be best if you didn't say anything, though, okay? Not until we figure out how to make it work."  
  
"Your secret is safe with me. You know that."  
  
Sam and Jack both nodded. They did know that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have said a word.  
  
"Hey Jack," The young man at the water equipment shack greeted O'Neill when he and the others arrived there a moment later.  
  
"Hey. Can we have a couple fishing poles?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
They were handed three poles and a box of tackle, but Jack handed one back.  
  
"Sam doesn't get one. She's dangerous with one of these."  
  
"Whatever you say." The young man grinned, and winked at Sam, who was just shaking her head and smiling.  
  
"What happened with you and a fishing pole, Sam?" Daniel asked as the three of them walked over to the swimming dock where they were going to meet Sally.  
  
"It's nothing, Daniel," Sam said, blushing.  
  
"Oh, yeah it is," Jack corrected her. "Let me tell you all about Carter and her amazing fishing abilities." It'd give them something to talk about while they waited for Sally, and Jack knew that Daniel would sympathize. 


	82. 82

They spent the morning relaxing. The kids were intent on spending their last day at camp getting as many activities done as they could, and that didn't mean hanging out with counselors who were intent on doing as little as possible. Jack and Daniel fished, without bait, and predictably didn't catch anything, but they didn't care. They had good company and the sun was baking away some of their aches.  
  
An hour or so into their fishing, Sam and Sally were both called away to check on one of the girls that had been injured in a tumble down the hill, but they sent word through Shawn that they'd meet them at lunch. Then, around lunchtime, Simon and Andrew showed up on the dock, showing Daniel a few rocks they'd found on their nature walk. One of them was a piece of petrified wood, and another was a fossil of some ancient extinct bug, and Jack and Daniel ooohed and aahed over them, suitably impressed.  
  
"You guys going to go look for more rocks?" Jack asked as the boys stood up and started to leave. Lunch was coming up and he didn't want them to wander off too far.  
  
"No, we're going to work on our thing for Talent Night."  
  
They wouldn't say what they were doing, since they wanted to surprise their counselors, and Jack and Daniel didn't ask. As long as it didn't have anything to do with bringing them up in front of the camp, the two men were more than willing to be surprised.  
  
"You going to fish again after lunch?" Daniel asked as the two of them awkwardly reeled in their lines. Jack held the pole, while Daniel worked the reel.  
  
"There isn't much else I can do," Jack said. He wouldn't have minded horseback riding – since he was good at it, and had enjoyed the ride – but the bruise on his inner thigh wasn't going to allow him to bounce around in the saddle, so that wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to sail, and he certainly wasn't going to go Nature Walking.  
  
"You know, you could always make something in Arts and Crafts."  
  
"Not one-handed."  
  
"Well... good point."  
  
They handed their poles in to the young man they'd mooched them from, and walked up to the main building, feeling better than they had that morning, simply because they weren't as stiff as they'd been.  
  
"Actually, I think I'm going to go take a shower after lunch," Jack decided. He was feeling grubby, and hadn't shaved in a couple days, which wasn't common for him.  
  
"You can't shower," Daniel objected. "You'll get your cast wet." He'd wanted to shower but the nurse wouldn't allow it, both because of the cast on his own hand, and because of the stitches in his forehead.  
  
"There are ways around that, Daniel." Jack told him as they entered the cafeteria.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Jack didn't answer, instead he saw that Shelly was sitting at France's table with Jean, and the little girl had her leg up on a chair with a brand new bandage on her knee. Obviously, she was the one who'd taken the fall. She smiled when she saw the two of them walking in and waved, more to Daniel than Jack, but that was something O'Neill was used to.  
  
"Hi Shelly," Daniel said as they walked up. "What happened to you?"  
  
Jack smiled a hello to Jean. Now that he was safe from her advances, he didn't mind being friendly to her, and she was turning into a normal enough person. Someone that probably had a lot of guys chasing. Just not Jack. Or Daniel, for that matter.  
  
"I fell down."  
  
"She cut her knee pretty good," Jean said. "She had to go to the clinic and have it stitched up."  
  
"Just like your head, Daniel." Shelly said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah? How many stitches?"  
  
"Eight."  
  
"Wow."  
  
Daniel squatted down next to the chair, which really hurt, and pretended to be studying her bandage intently. "Does it hurt?"  
  
She shook her head. "They gave me a shot."  
  
"Yeah, they gave me one, too, when they gave me my stitches."  
  
The horn sounded just then, and there was a mad rush as campers and counselors started coming in, and Daniel smiled at Shelly (who was beginning to think that falling down was pretty neat, since it made Daniel actually spend a little time with her) and found his chair. Which was safely on the other side of the table from the France table. When the other girls all came rushing in to eat, they swarmed Shelly, who was the center of attention, and for a change, Daniel wasn't the first thing the girls were talking about. Which made Daniel uncharitably think that Shelly falling down and needing stitches was kind of neat, too. 


	83. 83

Lunch was normally the noisiest meal of the day. This was something Jack had observed in the days he'd been at camp. Today, however, the noise level was even higher. Campers were telling each other what they'd done that morning, but they were also talking about the Talent night that was coming up that night. A few were giving examples of what they were going to be doing, and others were being secretive.  
  
"What are you going to do, Jack?" Gina asked from the other table.  
  
Jack shook his head, "Nothing. I'm not very talented."  
  
"You can't do anything?" She asked, dubiously.  
  
"Not with only one hand," he told her, holding up his right hand to show her the cast.  
  
"Oh." She was silent for a minute, and then said, "How about dancing? You don't need hands to dance."  
  
Sam snorted, spewing her iced tea across her plate.  
  
"Ewwww!"  
  
Jack gave her a mock scowl, knowing what had caused her little accident, and handed her a napkin, which she accepted with a twinkle in her blue eyes that made his heart skip a beat. God, she was pretty.  
  
"I don't dance all that well, Gina," Jack told the little girl, smiling despite himself.  
  
"You could dance with me." She offered.  
  
"My leg is pretty sore, honey." He was running out of excuses. How many more suggestions could the kid make? "Daniel might want to dance with you."  
  
"What?" Daniel had only been paying half attention to what was being said around him. The continuous noise was starting to make his head hurt and he wasn't really concentrating on anything but the four aspirin that he'd just dug out of his pocket.  
  
"Want to dance with me tonight?" Gina asked.  
  
"Um... I would, but..." Daniel wasn't as quick on the uptake as Jack was this time, and he was floundering. Luckily, Sam had cleared her nose of iced tea and came to his rescue.  
  
"Daniel and Jack are hurt, Gina. They probably don't feel well enough to dance with you. Or do much of anything, I imagine."  
  
Daniel could have kissed her for that, and Sam smiled. Gina accepted that answer better than she'd accepted anything that Jack had said, and the two men breathed a silent sigh of relief.  
  
"Perhaps I could be persuaded to dance with you," Teal'c said out of the blue. Jack's jaw dropped, and Daniel just stared, but Gina beamed.  
  
~*~  
  
"Seriously, Jack," Daniel said as the kids cleared out for their afternoon activities. "How are you going to take a shower?" Daniel was desperate to feel clean. He hadn't taken a shower since he'd fallen off the horse.  
  
The two of them were still sitting at their table, but everyone else was gone. Teal'c had gone off with Gina, who was going to try and teach him how to dance with her, and Sam and Shelly had been convinced by their girls to go horseback riding with them.  
  
"Come with me, Daniel," Jack said, standing up slowly, and heading for the kitchen. Daniel practically jumped out of his chair in his haste to follow.  
  
"Jared?" Jack asked the cook when he saw there was a lull in activity in the kitchen. "Do you have a few garbage bags that Daniel and I could talk out of you?"  
  
"Sure, Jack."  
  
A minute later, armed with a stack of garbage bags, Jack and Daniel walked back up the hill.  
  
"The trick is to keep your cast from getting wet." Jack said as he struggled out of his shirt once they were in the cabin. He pulled off the leather necklace that Shawn had made him, but left his dogtags on, since he was used to showering in them. Then he stuck his casted right hand into one of the garbage bags. "See? Like that."  
  
He looked at the bandage on Daniel's forehead. "You're really probably going to want to keep that dry, though, which means you won't be able to wash your hair in the shower. We might be able to do it in the sink later. Just stick a garbage bag over your head like a bandana and it'll keep your bandage dry. Or try to keep your head out of the spray. Whichever works best for you."  
  
"Have I told you you're a genius?" Daniel asked.  
  
Jack shrugged, which hurt, and he smiled. "I've broken bones before Daniel. I'm an old pro at this." He reached into his bag for his towel, and headed for the bathroom, carrying a bag. "And since it was my idea, I get to shower first."  
  
"Fine, just don't be all day. And don't use all the hot water." Daniel needed time to get undressed anyways.  
  
~*~*  
  
The shower took a while, even for Jack who was an old pro. The cuts on his chest still hurt when he washed himself, and the bruises screamed at him under the spray of the water. But he was clean. He'd showered and washed his hair, then had shaved at the sink so that Daniel wouldn't have to wait any longer than necessary. Aside from hurting everywhere imaginable, and having a headache that wouldn't go away, once Jack dressed himself in the cleanest clothes he could find, he was feeling pretty much human again.  
  
A feeling Daniel shared. 


	84. 84

When Sam came looking for them to check on them, Jack was back on the dock that he'd fished from earlier that week. The more isolated one. He wasn't looking for company, so he was sort of hiding from the kids but still there if they searched him out. Daniel had decided he was going to take a nap and try to get rid of his headache, so he'd stayed in the cabin and went to bed. Jack was napping; too, he was just doing it in the sun.  
  
Carter went to China first, but didn't wake Daniel, who looked as though he was finally getting a little sleep. She knew Jack and Daniel had both slept poorly the night before, and had hoped that by leaving them alone, the two would manage to nap that afternoon. It wouldn't do to have them falling asleep during the Talent Night, after all. O'Neill wasn't in his bed, though, so Sam went looking for him, and found him in the first place she'd checked.  
  
Jack had taken his shirt off and was using it as a pillow, and Sam watched him for a moment, debating whether to wake him to see if he wanted some company or not. She didn't necessarily want to talk; she just wanted to be with him. But she didn't want to disturb him, either. He needed his sleep.  
  
"How was the ride?"  
  
She jumped when he spoke, and Jack opened one eye to look at her.  
  
"I thought you were asleep."  
  
"Just dozing. You're back early?" It was a question, since he didn't think it was all that late, but he didn't want to look at his watch to confirm the time.  
  
"My horse threw a shoe."  
  
"Better than throwing you."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Everyone okay? No injuries? No falls?"  
  
"Everyone's fine, Jack. Teal'c is judging a Jump or Dive contest, Daniel's sleeping in the cabin. How do you feel?"  
  
"I'm fine. Just a little tired."  
  
"Not sore?"  
  
"Yeah, sore, too."  
  
"Want a pillow for a while, or would you rather I leave you to your nap?"  
  
"If I fall asleep will it offend you?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Then I'd love your company."  
  
He sat up and Sam moved his shirt and sat down on the dock and helped him lay back down, guiding his head to her lap. Jack closed his eyes immediately, but his uninjured hand reached for hers, and Carter smiled.  
  
From the little dock she would occasionally see a sailboat go past out on the lake, and every now and then she'd see someone on one of them wave at her and would wave back. Aside from that, though, the afternoon went by quietly. Jack had fallen asleep almost instantly, as though he'd just been waiting for her to show up, and Sam was more than content to soak up some sun and hold him while he slept.  
  
The sun was stretching the shadows of the nearby trees across their dock when the horn sounded, telling the campers that they had only half an hour to get ready for dinner. Sam sighed, thinking that she wouldn't have minded sitting there for the rest of the evening, but she gently nudged Jack to wake him up.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Time to wake up, Jack. Dinner's almost ready."  
  
"I'm not hungry, Carter."  
  
She laughed, and nudged him again.  
  
"Your boys are going to be looking for you. You need to get up."  
  
"A couple more minutes, okay?"  
  
He still hadn't opened his eyes, and she had a feeling he wasn't completely aware of where they were.  
  
"Come on, Jack, you need to wake up. My butt's numb." Not entirely true, but it did get him to open his eyes and look up at her.  
  
"Want me to rub it for you?"  
  
She shifted a little, then leaned down and brushed a kiss against his belly, since she couldn't reach his lips at that angle. THAT woke him up completely.  
  
"No, I want you to get up so we can go eat."  
  
Jack groaned in mock indignation, but he did sit up, with a little help from her, and looked around sleepily.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Dinner time."  
  
He turned and looked at her, giving her that look she loved so much. Sam smiled.  
  
"5:30."  
  
"How long did I sleep?"  
  
"A couple hours."  
  
"You must be stiff from sitting like that for so long." He felt a little guilty for using her like that, but Sam brushed a kiss against his cheek and shook her head.  
  
"It was comfortable for me, don't worry. You can make it up to me sometime."  
  
"Oh, I will, Carter. I assure you."  
  
She couldn't help the warm fuzzy feeling that went through her when he said that, and she was still blushing when she and Jack finally stood up and walked off the dock and up to the main building. 


	85. 85

They were the last ones into the dining room this time. It was Jack's fault, since it had taken her so long to get him up and moving, and then he'd been slow on the walk, since his leg had stiffened up on him while he was sleeping, but neither of them really cared. The boys had saved Jack his seat, and the France girls had saved Sam hers, so they ended up sitting where they had all week anyways.  
  
"Hi Jack!"  
  
"Hey Jack!"  
  
"Hi Sam!"  
  
They smiled hello to all the kids, and Jack eased himself into his chair, looking over at Daniel as he did so.  
  
"How are you feeling?" He asked. "Headache gone?"  
  
"It's manageable. Thanks."  
  
Daniel looked better, anyways. The shower had done wonders for his spirits, and the nap had added on to that. Aside from the bruises and the bandages and the cast, he looked almost normal. The girls must have thought so, too, because they were back to whispering and looking at him over their hands. And he was back to ignoring the looks.  
  
"How do you feel, Jack?" Asked Shawn.  
  
"I'm okay, buddy. Thanks." Jack's head was a little sore, his arm was throbbing, and his back and leg were killing him, but he felt about as good as Daniel looked. Which meant he'd at least live through the day and into the next, most likely. "You guys ready for your Talent Night?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"You'll see, Jack! We're going to be great!"  
  
They weren't all doing acts, from the looks of it, but more than half the boys at the table mentioned doing something, and that was about the same amount as the girls from France. Jack wondered briefly how long this Talent Night thing lasted.  
  
He pulled out his schedule, but it wasn't any help. The page – as he'd already known – was too battered to read, and it didn't tell him when it started, or when it finished. Damn. The one time he didn't want to be going blind.  
  
Gary stepped up from the kitchen door, and got everyone's attention.  
  
"I have a few announcements," he said, holding up his hands for quiet, which he got immediately. "First of all, as soon as dinner is over tonight, and the tables are cleared, I want all of you to grab whatever you need for your part in the Talent show, and then go straight down to the gym. Second, if you're not performing in the Talent show, we could use your help carrying chairs down to the gym after dinner." He looked over at Jack and Daniel, and the look plainly said they were not expected to help. Jack scowled. Daniel had learned better, and kept his annoyance to himself. Scowling just hurt.  
  
"Any questions?"  
  
There weren't any, and the kitchen crew opened the serving windows, and the Runners were sent up to get the food.  
  
Dinner was a fiasco. At least for Jack and Daniel.  
  
They were having baked chicken, which was great as far as O'Neill was concerned. He liked chicken. But chicken is a very difficult thing to eat one-handed. And it's even harder to eat when it's too hot to hold. Daniel tried stripping the meat off the bones with his fork, but he was having the same problems that Jack was having, and the chicken grease made the handle of his fork too slippery to hold, causing him to drop it on the table more than once.  
  
Greasy hands also made holding his water glass impossible, and Daniel managed to spill his entire glass in his lap, which was better than O'Neill had managed, since Shawn ended up wearing Jack's water when his own glass slipped out of his hand.  
  
"Damn, sorry Shawn."  
  
"It's okay, Jack." The boy grinned, and reached for his napkin to dry off with. Jack had reached for his at the same time, and his hand knocked over the carton of milk that was placed on the table for the boys. Milk went everywhere, and all the boys hurriedly reached for napkins to stop the flow.  
  
"Gah."  
  
"Um, Jack? Why don't you let me pour you some more water?" Carter offered.  
  
"I can do it, Sam."  
  
"I really think-"  
  
"Gah."  
  
The boys were running out of dry napkins, and the girls from France started throwing them theirs.  
  
Daniel snickered, and reached for the coffee pot to pour himself a cup of coffee, and the thing slipped right out of his hand.  
  
"Da-"  
  
"It's okay, Daniel." Andrew said, pushing his chair back as hot coffee started pouring off the table. Sam stepped in, then, as Teal'c went to the kitchen to get a few towels from the kitchen staff.  
  
"Jack, Daniel. Stop." She looked at Daniel. "What do you want to drink?"  
  
"Coffee."  
  
Sam poured him a cup, and handed him a towel to wipe his hand off with.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
Jack sighed. "Coffee, too."  
  
Sam repeated the process and handed O'Neill a cup of coffee and a towel for his hand. Then she took Jack's plate, and Daniel's plate, and handed Daniel's to Sally who was laughing so hard she had tears running down her cheeks.  
  
"Cut that for him, will you, Sally?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Sam took care of Jack's. She stripped the meat from the chicken, and piled it neatly, then handed the plate back to O'Neill. "If you want more, let me know. Think you can handle the potatoes on your own?"  
  
"They're mashed, Carter," Jack said, scowling. 'I think I'll be okay."  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
Daniel couldn't help it. He scowled, too. 


	86. 86

The gym had been decorated once more. This time it wasn't decorated in straw bales and cornstalks; it was decorated as though it were a theater. There were all sorts of posters for various Broadway shows lining the walls, and there was a raised stage area, complete with a hanging curtain. The chairs that were carried down the stairs were set up facing the stage with an aisle in the middle, like there'd be in a movie theater, and there was even a spotlight. To one side of the stage was a piano. Next to that, there was a small table that held a CD player and a handful of CDs that were obviously going to be used that night for background music.  
  
Jack sat in the front row on the right side, near the far end. He needed to be able to stretch out his leg, and didn't want to be tripping anyone up, so he was as out of the way as possible. Shawn was seated on one side of him, and Teal'c was seated on the other. The boys of China had taken up most of the front row, and the girls from France had complained about it, but to no avail. Jack wasn't going to move, and the boys knew if he wasn't going to, they didn't have to. First come, first serve.  
  
Gina solved that problem for herself. She merely climbed up in her favorite spot. O'Neill's lap. The majority of the girls from France gave Daniel a quick look, but decided that they'd only get into trouble if they tried to use him like that. Daniel sent up a relieved sigh of thanks. Then the lights flickered on and off a few times, like they do when the show's getting ready to start on Broadway, and the campers that had been milling around quickly found seats as well.  
  
Gary walked out onto the stage from behind the curtain, and the kids grinned excitedly. He was dressed to the yards, wearing a formal tuxedo and a top hat. Even Jack had to smile. The guy really did go all out when it came to his camp.  
  
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!"  
  
"Good evening!"  
  
Gary smiled, and held up a handful of index cards.  
  
"I'm going to be calling the performers up here one at a time, and then I want you to introduce yourself, tell us what cabin you're in and what you're going to be doing. Okay?"  
  
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Gary nodded and looked at his cards. "Okay! First up, Dillon and Wade."  
  
The boys in question popped up from their chairs and came sauntering up to the stage, obviously not suffering from stage fright. They were carrying a dizzying array of items, and Jack didn't even need their introduction to know that they were going to be juggling.  
  
"I'm Dillon, I'm from Germany."  
  
"I'm Wade, from Germany. We're going to be juggling."  
  
And so the show began.  
  
Jack enjoyed the Talent Night far more than he'd expected to. There were a lot of talented kids at that camp, and they had far more varying talents than he would have expected. Shawn and Andrew were called up after the juggling Germany boys, and they did a presentation of 'Who's on First' from Abbot and Costello that was so perfect, Jack found himself laughing hard enough to make his sides ache. (Both sides, not just the bruised one) He gave them both high-fives when they finished and came to sit near him, and the boys beamed with their success.  
  
There were a few singers, a couple singing groups, and a couple of people played the piano. One of the was quite a gymnast and she regaled them with so many back flips and summersaults that it made Jack wonder how she was keeping down her dinner. Then Gina and Teal'c were called. Jack heard a low murmur from the audience. The campers were probably wondering what the two were going to do. Maybe he was going to juggle her? Gina launched herself from Jack's lap with a knee that made him groan and bite back a very unsuitable word, and took Teal'c's hand and walked up onto the stage with him. The big Jaffa dwarfed the little girl, but it w obvious that both were perfectly at ease up on the stage, and with each other.  
  
"I'm Gina, from France."  
  
"I am Murray, from China. We are going to Tango."  
  
Gina snapped her fingers, and pointed at the staff member who was manning the CD player, and he started the music. And Jack knew his jaw wasn't the only one in the gym to drop when the two began. The dance was perfect. Sharp and sassy just like a Tango should be. The steps were perfectly measured, and they were in perfect synchronization. Considering the differences in their size, this was amazing in itself. Add in that Teal'c hadn't known how to dance that very morning, and it was miraculous. When the final step was taken, and Teal'c dipped Gina low at the end, the crowd in the gym went crazy. They stomped and cheered, and whistled and clapped, and called for more.  
  
Gina curtseyed, and Teal'c bowed, and they left the stage and went back to their seat. Well, Teal'c went to his seat, Gina went to Jack's lap. The little girl was grinning from ear to ear and Jack gave her a hug when she jumped back up into his lap.  
  
"Where did you learn to do that?" Jack asked, impressed.  
  
"My mom teaches Ballroom dancing. I can do any dance. Murray was a quick learner. Faster than anyone I've ever seen." Of course he was. A dance isn't all that much different from a fighting style, Jack knew, and Teal'c was a warrior born and bred. It'd have been nothing for him to learn the moves in a single morning, and be able to display them with such precision. Especially with a skilled teacher.  
  
"I'm impressed," Jack said, smiling as Gary called up another performer.  
  
"Thanks, Jack."  
  
"Thank you, O'Neill."  
  
The next performer was from UK. And Jack had to admit he was just as impressed with this kid as he'd been with Teal'c and Gina. The boy had as deep a voice as Teal'c, and he sang a Johnny Cash song in a voice that sounded so perfect for it that Jack had to smile. Wow. When he was a kid, he was lucky to be able to tie his shoes! Where did these amazing abilities come from?  
  
The night went by far too quickly, and was so much fun that Jack was able to forget that he was miserable and hurt, and that it was the last night of camp and he was going to have to say good bye to the kids he'd grown so fond of. He was truly sorry when Gary announced that the last performer had entertained them and that they were excused to their cabins to get ready for bed.  
  
Gina wanted to be carried up to her cabin. Not because she was especially tired, but because she wanted to be carried. Jack grinned at that logic, but had to admit that he wasn't up to carrying her. Holding her, yes. Toting her anywhere? Not a chance. He'd drop her for sure, and he knew it. Or the sun would be coming up over the lake by the time they made it to France. One or the other. Teal'c solved the problem by simply plucking her out of O'Neill's lap and draping her over one shoulder like a bag of flour. Which made her giggle, as he'd known it would.  
  
"I'll see you at the cabin, Murray," Jack said, pressing a kiss against the little girl's cheek before Teal'c could carry her away. Teal'c didn't wait to see if the Colonel was going to give him a kiss as well, h headed for the door, with Andrew and a couple of other China boys crowding around him.  
  
"Bye Jack!"  
  
"Bye, honey, see you in the morning."  
  
With the gym emptying out, Jack made his way over to the door that led to the outside rather than for the stairs that went up into the main building. He could handle the hill outside the gym far easier than the stairs. Shawn came with him, and Carter met them at the door as well, smiling.  
  
"Need help up the hill?"  
  
"Maybe." He smiled a welcome and Shawn jumped to hold the door open for them, and then walked at Jack's right side while Sam took his left. Jack put a casual arm around Sam, his fingers sliding under the back of her shirt to caress bare skin, while his casted right hand went carefully onto Shawn's shoulder. He didn't put any weight on either of them, especially Shawn, since he didn't want to hurt the boy the day before sending him home, but he had plenty of support as he limped painfully up the hill, and felt pretty much at peace with the world just then. 


	87. 87

The horn sounded, pulling Jack from the soundest sleep he'd had all week. Either he was exhausted, or he was getting used to sleeping on the thin mattress. Or maybe it was just that he and the rest of China had stayed up extremely late the night before, talking about the best part of the Talent Night, and the week in general. Whatever it was, Jack wasn't at all happy to be waking up. But he knew he had to.  
  
He groaned, and dragged himself painfully out of bed. Nudging Teal'c awake, he went through the now familiar motion of putting Andrew into his bunk so Teal'c could get up, then he went into the bathroom. He wanted to have a chance to shave before the boys got up, and shaving took a bit longer when he only had one hand. Besides, they had a few extra things they had to do this morning. According to the schedule, they were supposed to have all their stuff packed and ready to go before breakfast. Among other things.  
  
Once he'd shaved, Jack went back out into the main room and started waking up the boys. They weren't as easy to wake as Teal'c, but he was pretty good at it by now, and soon they were all sitting up in their bunks watching Jack to see what he wanted them to do first.  
  
"Good morning, boys," Jack said, smiling at the sleepy looks.  
  
"Morning Jack."  
  
"Teal'c's in the bathroom. When he comes out, I want you guys to get dressed and ready for breakfast. We're supposed to get all our stuff packed up, so when you're dressed pack everything up and double check to make sure you have everything."  
  
There were groans and a little complaining. The boys didn't really want to go home. Something Jack could sympathize with.  
  
He ignored them, since there wasn't anything he could do about it. Smiling, he pointed at the beds.  
  
"We're supposed to strip all the beds, pile all the blankets on Shawn's bed, pile all the sheets and pillowcases on Andrew's, so they can find them easily. Okay?"  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Daniel? You awake?"  
  
Daniel was the only one that wasn't actually sitting up and paying attention to Jack.  
  
"Yeah, I'm listening, just haven't managed to get up enough oomph to sit up yet."  
  
Jack could understand that. Perfectly. But they had things to do, and he couldn't have his coffee until they were done, which gave him a certain incentive to get them started.  
  
"Come on, guys, let's get this done, so we can have the rest of the morning to hang out."  
  
The boys all jumped off their bunks and found clothes to wear. Clothes that were, for the most part, fairly grubby, but that was all that any of them had left. Jack waited until the last of the boys were moving, then went over to Daniel's bunk and looked down at his friend.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I just ache."  
  
"Shawn? Bring me that bottle of water that's under my bunk, please?"  
  
The boy did as he was asked, and Jack fished out a bottle of aspirin from his pocket and worried the bottle open. Which wasn't easy with one hand.  
  
"Here, Daniel, take a couple of these. If nothing else, it'll make some of the aching go away."  
  
"Thanks, Jack." Daniel took the pills from Jack, and washed them down with the water Shawn handed him, then flopped back down in his bed and closed his eyes tightly.  
  
"Is he okay?" Shawn asked Jack.  
  
"Yeah. Just let him rest a little longer. We can pack his stuff up for him, right?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Jack gathered all his things together and stuffed them into his bag, then stripped his bed down and piled the bedding on various bunks. Then he and Shawn packed up all of Daniel's stuff – except a change of clothes – and Jack and Teal'c got the boys organized to clean the cabin. One swept, one held the dustpan, two did a patrol in the bathroom to make sure no one had left a toothbrush or shampoo or anything, and the others tried to organize the blankets and sheets a little better.  
  
"I'm not sure if we're supposed to leave our stuff here, or not," Jack told the boys when everything was as cleaned as nine year olds could make it. "I guess we can always come back for it."  
  
"Are we going down to the dining room now?"  
  
"Yeah. You guys go with Teal'c, I'll stay and get Daniel up."  
  
There was a bustling as they all went rushing out the door, shouting and laughing as they raced each other. Teal'c followed at a calmer pace, and left Jack alone with Daniel in the cabin that was so empty now it seemed to echo the silence back at him.  
  
"I don't want to get up, Jack," Daniel told him without opening his eyes.  
  
"Too bad. I had to. You have to."  
  
"I'm comfortable." Now he was just sounding petulant.  
  
"I could ask Sam's girls to come help you..."  
  
"I'm getting up."  
  
Daniel sat up in his bed, groaning and holding his head in his hands. He ached, but it wasn't quite as bad as earlier. The aspirin Jack had given him had helped. He looked around the cabin, seeing the piled up bags and bedding, and sighed.  
  
"I'm almost sad to see it end."  
  
"Yeah, me too."  
  
"It wasn't all that bad, was it?"  
  
"Most of it was okay. Not something I'd have done on my own, though."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"If I'm sitting up and talking to you, I must feel okay. I guess."  
  
"Good." Jack handed Daniel the stack of friendship bracelets that he'd collected over the week from the various girls in the camp. "Put those on and wear them today. And look suitably friendly, no matter how much you don't want to."  
  
"That's cruel."  
  
"It's only for the morning, and it's not going to kill you. A few more hours, Daniel. How hard can it be?"  
  
"You're just saying that because it's not you that has to do it."  
  
"True." Jack grinned, and despite himself, Daniel smiled as well and slid the bracelets over his hand.  
  
"Let's go get some coffee." 


	88. 88

There were stacks of luggage and bags in the foyer of the main building, telling Jack that he'd been wrong about keeping the bags in the cabins. He didn't rush to go find the boys and tell them to get their things, though. It wasn't as if the Earth was going to stop turning if they didn't have all their stuff down here before breakfast. He and Daniel walked past it, amazed at how much crap so few kids could generate, and walked into the dining room, which was already filled with kids and campers.  
  
"Jack! Daniel!"  
  
The boys waved at him from China's table, and he and Daniel both waved back before heading for the table that held the coffee pot.  
  
"Let me get that for you guys," Sally said, coming over. Undoubtedly, she was remembering dinner the night before and how much trouble they had with liquids. Both of them bit back any comment, and thanked her, figuring it was just as easy to go along as it was to argue that they could do it themselves. The smile Daniel gave her was warmer than the one Jack did, though.  
  
They sat down at the table in their usual places, and the boy watched as they drank their first cup of coffee. There was almost a mournful quality in the looks they were giving them, and Jack picked up on it immediately. He reached over and ruffled Shawn's hair with his good hand.  
  
"What's the matter, guys?"  
  
"It's our last meal together, Jack," Simon said from his spot next to Daniel. Andrew was practically leaning against Teal'c, and the little boy looked as miserable as everyone else.  
  
Jack looked over at Sam, but Carter was dealing with a similar situation with her own girls. France had as many sad faces as China did. For that matter, the entire room seemed a lot quieter than usual. Jack sighed, and looked into Shawn's sad dark eyes, then stood up.  
  
"Come with me."  
  
He limped out of the dining room, followed by his curious boys, Teal'c and Daniel. The other campers watched them go, but they were too wrapped up in their own miseries to wonder too much about where they were going. Walking slowly, both because he was sore, and to buy a little time, Jack thought quick as he led them out into the foyer, where he could talk to them without having the entire camp listening in.  
  
"Huddle around, guys," he said, stopping in the middle of the room. The boys all gathered in close, looking up at him.  
  
Jack gave them a smile. An honest to God I love you more than anything in the world smile. It wasn't one he used very often. For that matter, he hardly ever used it, but the boys immediately responded to it, some of them smiling automatically in return, others simply losing a little of their sadness.  
  
"You guys..." Jack paused for a second, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "You guys are the greatest group of kids I've ever met. You're smart, you're brave, and you're funny. You're everything I wish I could have been when I was your age. When I found out that I was coming here, I wasn't really looking forward to it. I mean, I could think of a billion ways I'd rather spend my vacation than hanging out with a bunch of kids. I was wrong, though. There was no better way for me to spend my vacation than hanging out with you guys. I had more fun this week than I ever could have imagined. True, I got hurt..."  
  
There were smiles and chuckles, and Jack could see the sadness was leaving their faces to be replaced with something else. Something more positive. He continued.  
  
"... I got hurt. Daniel got hurt. Even Murray got hurt. But it was so much fun to be here with you guys. You guys made this week fun for us, and I wanted to thank you for that."  
  
There were more smiles. Jack was being sincere with them, and they could recognize that. Even young children know when they are being talked down to, and they knew that Jack was speaking with them man to man.  
  
"You made it fun for us, too, Jack." Devon said. The rest of the boys nodded their agreement with this statement.  
  
"Good. I wanted it to be fun for you. Now. We're not done yet, guys. There's another meal to eat, and a little more time to cause trouble – not too much, though. We can't let everyone think we're a bunch of saps just because camp is going to be ending soon, can we? Besides, think of all the stories you'll have to tell your friends back home! You went horseback riding, and sailing, and hiking and you had a cliff come down on you. They're never going to believe all of that, you know?"  
  
The boys nodded, grinning. It was all true. They'd have a ton of stuff to brag about to their friends. They'd just spent a week with two Air Force Seals, after all! And Jack was a Colonel!  
  
Daniel could see that the sad looks were all gone, and he had to admit that Jack was a lot better at this sort of thing than he was. He'd never been good with good-byes. Jack, of course, had said good-bye a million times in his career in the Air Force. He was used to seeing people he'd come to like leave him. Good-byes were hard, but he was a pro. Although he'd never had to say good-bye to a group of nine year olds before. It was almost easier to do it with the kids, though. With the boys from China, it was simply a matter of opening up and letting them know how they affected him. Something he wouldn't have done with adults, but was finding it easy to do with the boys.  
  
The boys all gathered in close for a moment, then Jack shooed them all away with a smile.  
  
"Come on, guys, I'm hungry! Let's go get some breakfast and see what we're doing the rest of the morning."  
  
They all raced back into the dining hall, suddenly feeling much better than they had all morning, leaving Jack, Daniel and Teal'c standing in the foyer alone watching them.  
  
"Good speech, Jack." Daniel said.  
  
O'Neill nodded, "Yeah, I know."  
  
He put an arm over Daniel's shoulder, and the casted one over Teal'c's, and turned the three of them towards the dining room as well. "I meant it, though, you know?"  
  
"Indeed, O'Neill," Teal'c said, smiling. "I agree with everything you told them."  
  
"Me, too, Jack."  
  
"Good. You can give the speech to Sam's girls, then, and see if you can get them to stop looking quite so miserable."  
  
"Uh...."  
  
Jack and Teal'c were still grinning when they all walked back into the cafeteria to join their boys, who were now sitting at their table, animatedly chattering with each other, and looking far happier than they had been when they'd left.  
  
~*~  
  
Author's note: Whew! This story is almost finished! I can't believe how far it went, and how much fun I've had with it. (Don't panic, it isn't done yet, and there's a lot of loose ends I need to tie up) But I should have the last chapters out tonight or tomorrow, depending on my schedule. Keep reviewing so I know what's good and what sucks. 


	89. 89

Jared and his crew of helpers had gone all out on the last breakfast of the week. Sausage and scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and pancakes were brought to the tables in huge quantities by the runners, and Jack wondered if there was just a large surplus that they were trying to get rid of before the week was out. Jack's boys didn't question it, they just ate everything that was put in front of them, and carefully made sure that they took care of pouring the milk and coffee whenever Daniel or Jack reached for it. Since their talk with Jack, they were more boisterous, and they were by far the noisiest table of the lot. Something that didn't bother their counselors at all. Even Daniel didn't worry about getting a headache. It was much more preferable than them moping and looking sad.  
  
Gary wasn't through with surprises, though. He waited until all the dishes were stacked and the tables had been wiped down, and then asked for the Runner from each table to come up to him. Jack sent Devon up with a shooing motion of his hand, and the boy returned with his arms full of what Gary called Memory Books, which were handed out to each camper and counselor.  
  
It looked more like a miniature yearbook to Jack. It was about the same size as one, only paperbacked, and when Jack opened it up, he saw that it was filled with pictures of the campers and counselors at their daily activities thru out the week. Jack had only vaguely been aware of the camp photographer running around snapping pictures of everyone. He'd been paying more attention to other things, but as he flipped through it, he saw that there were quite a few of him and the boys from China. And a fair number of him and Daniel that showed them getting more and more battered as the week progressed.  
  
He flipped through it, idly, as the boys – and the campers all around them – talked excitedly and poured through theirs, looking for pictures of themselves or of the people in their cabin. Jack was pleased to see that at the very end of the book there were three full pages that showed all the camper's names and addresses. This was perfect. He'd planned to make sure he had them all, but now he didn't need to. He'd just save the book. He also noted that the counselors were in the address section, and saw that Teal'c had been written down as Murray Teallik, care of Jack O'Neill, with Jack's address. That was fine, too. The boys would be able to write to them.  
  
"Hey! Jack's got a picture in here with Sam!"  
  
Simon pointed the picture out to all the boys, and Carter and Jack both looked over his shoulder as well, and saw that it had been taken while they were swimming. The picture was in black and white, but the bruises on Jack's chest stood out. As did the fact that Jack had his arm firmly around Sam's waist and was holding her close. It wasn't a picture they'd want Hammond to see, but Jack loved it.  
  
"Jack? Will you sign my book for me?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Of course I will."  
  
This was what the schedule had planned for after breakfast. It was a camp tradition that memory books be handed out, and it was expected that everyone would want their friends to sign them. Gary had a huge basket of pens sitting on a table for just such a purpose.  
  
It was pandemonium for a while after that. Jack was seated at his table next to Daniel and the two of them were asked to sign book after book. Especially Daniel, who was literally swamped with girls - and not just the ones from France. Sally couldn't help him this time, since they all had a legitimate reason for hanging around him, and Jack had a feeling that some of the books he was asked to sign were just excuses to stay close to Daniel a little longer. Especially since he wasn't even sure who some of the girls were.  
  
Gina handed him her book as well, and Jack made a point to write something long and sappy in it. He had thoroughly enjoyed the very rare opportunity to cuddle a little girl all week, and the fact that she'd enjoyed his company as much as he'd enjoyed hers just made it all that much sweeter. He was really going to miss her. She must have felt the same way. Once she had every signature she wanted, Gina came back to O'Neill and climbed up in his lap, and wouldn't budge after that, which made signing Memory Books even more difficult, but Jack didn't ask her to move. He just did the best he could.  
  
"We'd like you and the other counselors to stick around a little while after the campers are gone, Jack," Gary told him as the Camp director came by and asked Jack to sign the official Camp Yearbook. This one was all in color, and a photo of Jack and Daniel sitting side by side at the Square Dancing graced the cover. Jack thought he and Daniel both looked stoned in the photo, and decided there was a pretty fair reason that neither of them could remember much from that evening.  
  
"That's fine," Jack said, looking over to see if Daniel had heard. He nodded to show he had, and Gary moved on to tell Teal'c and Sam, who were sitting at France's table signing books with Sally and Jean (who had all the males campers hanging around her like Daniel had the female ones). Jack signed his name under a picture of him up on Thunderball – another one he'd not noticed was being taken but was glad to have – and handed the book over to Daniel, who looked at the picture on the front for a long time, as if he were trying to remember where it had been taken. 


	90. 90

The parents started arriving.  
  
The boys of China had gone up to their cabin to get their stuff. Jack and Daniel didn't go help them, since they were too sore to be of much use. Teal'c on the other hand, was more than enough to make up for the lack of the other two. He came down loaded with whatever the boys couldn't carry, although he told Daniel and Jack that he'd left their stuff in their cabin, since there was no hurry for them to pick it up.  
  
Almost predictably, Andrew's mom and dad were the first to arrive of all the boys from China. The boy had yelled excitedly when he saw their car pull up into the lot, and Jack knew that he was glad to be going home. Camp was fun and all, but Andrew just plain missed his family.  
  
Mrs. Stephens hugged her son tightly, and looked at Teal'c, smiling with far less trepidation than she had when she and her husband had dropped the boy off.  
  
"Mr. Murray! How are you?"  
  
"I am quite well, thank you." Teal'c replied, handing Andrew's bag over to his father.  
  
"Did Andrew behave for you?"  
  
"I could not have asked for a better cabin mate than your son." Andrew beamed, and so did his dad. Then Jack and Daniel walked over to say their final good-byes to the boy, and both parents winced. Jack didn't even bother to scowl. He had a feeling he was going to see far more of that in the next hour. It wasn't worth the effort.  
  
"What happened to you?" Andrew's dad asked.  
  
"I'll tell you all about it on the way home, dad," Andrew said, anxious to be the one to tell of all the misfortunes of the China counselors.  
  
He gave Jack and Daniel both hugs, then clung tightly to Teal'c, promising over and over that he'd write him every day. Teal'c held the boy a little longer than he might have, then released him and stepped back and watched him leave with his folks. The rest of the China boys waved as hard as they could, but they'd already promised to write, so they didn't yell any more promises to him. Jack felt like he was giving away a puppy.  
  
One by one, the rest of the parents showed up as well. All of them were anxious to see their boys after a whole week without them, and all of them were greeted just as excitedly by their sons. But their counselors weren't quite so happy to see them, and not just because they winced every time they looked at Jack and Daniel. One by one the parents came, and one by one the boys left. Until it was just Shawn who was sitting on the porch of the main building, looking up the road and waiting for his parents to show.  
  
"They probably got a late start," he said, smiling when Jack limped out to sit next to him while he waited. "My dad says my mom will be late for her own funeral."  
  
Jack smiled and put his arm around Shawn's shoulder, taking a minute to be with him a little longer. Privately, he was thinking that if Shawn were his son, he'd have shown up early to take him home.  
  
"We're not in any hurry," Jack told him. "If all else fails, you can always sleep on my couch."  
  
Shawn laughed, although a part of him definitely loved that idea, and the little boy leaned in close to Jack's embrace.  
  
"We're okay, right Jack?"  
  
O'Neill knew immediately what the boy was talking about, and nodded, leaning down and nuzzling his face into Shawn's dark hair.  
  
"We're better than okay."  
  
Shawn nodded, and the two sat together quietly for a long moment. Then a dark Pontiac came around the turn at the top of the road, and Shawn pointed.  
  
"That's them."  
  
Jack didn't think it would hurt so badly. For God's sake, he'd only known the kid a week! He greeted Shawn's folks, who apologized for being late, and ignored the winces as they took a tally of his injuries. Then he gave Shawn another hug, before stepping back. And the entire time, he felt like crying.  
  
"Bye, Sam!" Shawn called, running past Jack to give Sam another hug. She'd come up behind the two of them without Jack noticing, and her arms squeezed the little boy tightly for a minute before she let him go.  
  
"You take care of yourself, okay?"  
  
"I will. You take care of Jack, okay?"  
  
"You bet."  
  
Jack smiled, and Sam came over to stand next to him as Shawn got into the car. Another wave, and he was gone.  
  
Carter slipped her arm around Jack's waist, and he turned to her, and Sam saw the saddened look in his eyes. She smiled softly, and leaned closer to him to comfort him, knowing that he was going to miss his boys.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He sighed, and turned his back on the parking lot and the rapidly disappearing car, and with his arm around her, he went back inside. 


	91. 91

The counselors were the only ones left in the camp, now, and they weren't going to be there long. Gary had merely asked them to stay to fill out evaluation forms of how they thought the camp experience had been, both for them, and for their campers. Jack gave the entire camp high marks, and he knew that the others were doing the same. Really, with the exception of their injuries, the week had gone smoothly. They turned in their forms, and the counselors that were from the other cabins said their own good-byes and headed for their cabins to get their bags.  
  
Sam walked up with Jean and Sally, and the six of them stood on the porch and talked while Jean waited for her ride to come get her. The UK men had offered to take her home, but she'd already made arrangements for her roommate to come get her, so she'd declined. The conversation was bright and cheerful, but Jack really didn't feel like joining in, so he mainly just listened. Sally and Jean just assumed he was sore and didn't feel like talking, and although the others knew better, they didn't say anything. They just gave him the time he needed to get over the loss of his boys. As long as he didn't start brooding, he could have all the time he needed.  
  
Jean's ride showed up, and she gave Daniel and Teal'c hugs, then Sam and Sally, and finally she came to Jack. Mindful of his injuries, her touch was gentle, and as she put her arms around him, she leaned forward and for a moment Jack thought she was going to kiss him. She didn't, though. She just whispered something in his ear, and for the first time that afternoon, Jack smiled. Much to everyone's surprise.  
  
"See you guys next year."  
  
The car vanished around the bend, and the rest of them looked at each other.  
  
"Well?" Jack said. "I guess we'd better get out stuff, huh? Teal'c? You mind helping me and Daniel load our bags into the truck?"  
  
"Actually, Jack..." Daniel said, a little tensely, "Sally's offered to take me home. That way I don't have to get stuffed into the back of your cab."  
  
"Oh." Jack wondered why Daniel looked so nervous about that, and realized he expected Jack to make some smart-assed comment about that. Which was an honest concern. Except that Jack would then be opened for a comment about Sam. "That's a great idea." He smiled at Sally, and she gave O'Neill a hug.  
  
"It was wonderful to meet you, Jack. I hope we see each other soon."  
  
"You, too, Sally. I'm sure we'll see more of you. I hope so, anyways."  
  
Sally hugged Teal'c as well, then smiled and told Daniel she'd go get his bags.  
  
"I will help you," Teal'c said, walking up the hill with her.  
  
"So."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"See you tomorrow morning at briefing?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Sam grinned as she watched the two, wondering how the two had ever communicated enough to become friends.  
  
"Drive safe."  
  
"You, too... ride safe, I mean."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Yup..."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Sam shook her head, and was glad to see Teal'c and Sally coming back down the hill loaded with everyone's bags, including Daniel's and Jack's. These were separated; Daniel's were stuffed into Sally's trunk, and Teal'c and Jack's went into the back of his truck to join Sam's.  
  
Sam gave Sally a quick hug, then she crawled in behind Jack's seat, and Teal'c got into the passenger seat. Jack was the last one in, and as he closed the door, he glanced at the rear view mirror, and saw a leather bracelet hanging from it. One that perfectly matched the leather necklace that held his arrowhead. Smiling broadly, Jack turned the key in the ignition and headed his truck for home. 


	92. 92

Author's note: No! it's not done yet. I couldn't end it there... and it's not done with this chapter, either. There's going to be one more. An epilogue.  
  
~*~  
  
"Good morning, Sir."  
  
"Good morning, Airman."  
  
It was a fine morning, General Hammond decided as he walked down the corridors of the SGC. It was a beautiful day outside, there were no immediate emergencies that required his attention, and SG-1 was scheduled back today from their enforced vacation. Hammond allowed himself a smug grin at that thought. The team was so bad at relaxing, and he had come up with the perfect way to force them to have a good time. He was such a genius. Of course, it would be good to have them back. Fresh and relaxed from what had to have been the easiest assignment the four had ever faced.  
  
In Hammond's hand he held a briefing summary for SG-1. It would be a mission to a planet they'd already been to; simply a follow-up on the last mission they'd had before they'd left for their camping assignment. Nothing too urgent, which he knew would irritate Colonel O'Neill, who loved the action and would be wanting to jump back in with both feet after such a long period of rest. Too bad. Jack would have to wait.  
  
Still smiling at his inspiration, Hammond opened the door to the briefing room, and grinned when he saw the four of them sitting there, much as he'd pictured they would be. Carter was looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Teal'c was looking refreshed and relaxed, which was hard to tell, really, unless you knew him. Daniel Jackson was – Hammond took a double take.  
  
Jackson looked like hell. His face was bruised, his hair was messy, and he had a cast that covered in some kind of grime on his right wrist. He had a half healed cut on his cheek, and a large white bandage on his forehead. He didn't look refreshed at all. He looked like... Hammond's gaze went to O'Neill. And he felt his jaw drop. Daniel Jackson looked like O'Neill. The Colonel was just as bruised – no, even MORE bruised – than Daniel. He had a tense look on his face that told Hammond immediately that he wasn't feeling well, and Hammond could see why. There was a cast identical to Dr. Jackson's on O'Neill's right arm, and it too, was covered in some kind of... wait, were those names?  
  
"Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
"Yes, Sir?"  
  
"I thought I ordered SG-1 onto some downtime."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"At a summer camp."  
  
"Yes, Sir, you did."  
  
"For children."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Why didn't you go?"  
  
"We did, Sir."  
  
Hammond couldn't hide his confusion. They didn't look like they'd been spending the week sailing and relaxing on the water. They looked like they'd spent the week off world in the middle of an ambush.  
  
"Well... what happened?"  
  
"A boom hit me in the face."  
  
"I fell off a horse."  
  
"He broke his wrist."  
  
"I learned to play Rummy."  
  
"Teal'c hit me in the face with a basketball."  
  
"It was unintentional, I assure you."  
  
"The cliff broke off and fell on me."  
  
"Not on me, just Jack and Teal'c. I was off to the side."  
  
"I fell thirty feet, onto my head."  
  
"No, he fell on my head."  
  
"Technically, they believe he landed on DanielJackson's cast, which is how he broke his arm."  
  
"Yeah, I landed on Daniel."  
  
"That's how I cut my head."  
  
"The harness slipped."  
  
Hammond simply stared. First at Jack, then at Teal'c, then at Daniel. Finally, he looked at Carter, who'd been silent through the whole tirade. Carter cleared her throat, uncomfortably.  
  
"Um... I got a little bit of a sunburn, Sir..." She said, pointing to her shoulder.  
  
Hammond sat down in his seat, still staring, although now he was looking at O'Neill in utter disbelief. They'd been sent to a children's camp! How on Earth had so many bad things happened to them in such a placid place? He looked down at his mission briefing, and then tossed it over his shoulder in a very rare show of exasperation. They weren't in any condition to go anywhere!  
  
"Has Doctor Fraiser seen the two of you?"  
  
"No, Sir."  
  
"Um, no."  
  
"Report to the infirmary. And try not to trip over your shoe laces on the way."  
  
"Yes, Sir." 


	93. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Colonel Jack O'Neill was standing on the tarmac of one of the many runways at Schriever Air Force Base. He was wearing a flight suit, with his helmet tucked under his arm, which was sporting a simple black brace. He was tanned, his haircut was perfect, and he was feeling better than he had in weeks.  
  
"How many strings did you have to pull to do this, Sir?"  
  
Major Samantha Carter was standing next to Jack. Dressed similarly, she was holding a helmet as well, but she wasn't looking quite so healthy. The last couple of weeks, she'd lost a little weight, and had even missed a few morning briefings; something that had her Commanding officer concerned enough that he'd asked her about it a few times. She'd simply told him she wasn't feeling well.  
  
"I didn't have to pull any. Hammond did all the dirty work. I just owe him big."  
  
"I bet."  
  
With the two of them were Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. These two were also wearing flight suits, but Daniel was also wearing a brace similar to O'Neill's, which was protecting his almost-healed right wrist. Behind them were two Agusta-Bell AB 412 Griffon helicopters, warmed up, but with the engines and rotors off. They were simply waiting. Just like SG-1.  
  
Jack was just about to get impatient when a dark military van came around the corner of the far hanger, and pulled to a stop at the edge of the tarmac. The doors opened, and eight small figures came rushing out at them.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Sam!"  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
"Teal'c!"  
  
O'Neill grinned, and swept the closest boy up into a bear hug as soon as he was close enough. The rest of the boys from China swarmed Teal'c, Sam and Daniel, shouting with excitement and giving and getting hugs. They were all dressed identically. A few days after Jack had returned home from camp, he'd sent off presents to all the boys that he'd shared the week with. All of them had flight jackets that had their names sewn onto the breast. Just like Jack's and Sam's, only without the wings of gold.  
  
"Where's Devon?" Jack asked, realizing that they were one short.  
  
"His mom picked today to have her baby," Shawn said, still holding Jack tightly. "Sucks, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, it does."  
  
The boys looked at the helicopters that they were standing near, and Andrew grinned excitedly, taking Teal'c's hand.  
  
"Are we really going to get to ride in them?"  
  
"Indeed. O'Neill will fly one, and I will fly the other."  
  
"But you guys remember the rules, right?"  
  
"Yeah! The General made sure we swore that we'd do whatever you told us, and we wouldn't touch anything."  
  
"Especially the doors."  
  
"Can I be the co-pilot, Jack?" Shawn asked eagerly.  
  
Jack smiled, but shook his head. "Sorry, buddy. The co-pilot needs to be able to actually fly the helicopter if something happens. Sam's going to be my co-pilot. You can sit in the navigator's seat, though."  
  
"Oh, boy!"  
  
"Who's your co-pilot, Teal'c?" Andrew asked, looking at Daniel, who shook his head. It wasn't him!  
  
"General Hammond has expressed a desire to come with us on this flight," Teal'c told the boy, pointing at a figure that was coming around the corner from the same direction the van had.  
  
Hammond was dressed identically to SG-1, and was grinning. He'd thought O'Neill was out of his mind when the Colonel had asked him to help get something together for the boys from China, but the more he'd thought about it, the more fun the idea had sounded. A helicopter ride would be entertaining for the boys, and it'd be plenty safe enough that none of the parents would object. He'd assumed. He'd been right, too. When the invitations went out for the boys to come to the Air Force base, they'd been answered immediately, and with excitement. And it would be a great way for Hammond to actually hear what had happened at the camp. All the details that no one seemed to want to share with him. The boys would spill it, he was certain.  
  
Jack and Sam came to attention and Saluted Hammond as he approached, and Hammond returned it. Then the boys copied O'Neill and Carter, and snapped highballs at the General, as well. Grinning, Hammond returned them, and gestured for the Airmen that were standing by the helicopters to open the doors.  
  
"Let's take 'em up, Jack," Hammond said, walking towards his helicopter.  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
Jack divided the boys into two groups. One went running towards his helicopter, the other group ran to catch up with Hammond. Jack smiled at Carter as the two of them followed.  
  
"This is going to be great, Sam." He said. "What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
The End! (whew)  
  
Author's note: okay, the story is done... no, I probably won't write a sequel, but I'm very glad you guys liked it. I really appreciate the reviews. What I would like is for you to tell me what was the best part of the story, and even what was the worst. (what was the best line?, ect.) Yeah, the epilogue was a little lame, but I wanted to touch bases with the kids once more, and I thought it'd be a fun way for them to do it. (You figure the military owes SG-1 for saving the world, the least they can do is give them a couple helicopters for an afternoon) 


End file.
